Stitching as Knowing: Mapping Nebraska with Textiles and Thread

Authors

Elizabeth Ingraham, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2012

Comments

Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Ingraham, Associate Professor, 120 Richards Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588. All rights reserved.

http://www.mappingnebraska.com

Abstract

Mapping Nebraska is a drawn, stitched and digitally imaged cartography of the state (physical, social, cultural, sociological) where I live. The interrelated components of this on-going project are:

• A 15 foot wide hand-drawn “Locator Map” of Nebraska, with every city, town, park, railroad, river, lake and creek drawn to scale on 95 Tyvek sections which were then stitched together.
• Terrain Squares, quilted and embroidered fabric relief forms of the physical topography of selected locations, using software to be able to see the terrain at a much larger scale (1 inch = 596 feet) than the Locator Map.
• Surveys, or on-the-ground documentation (with a still camera and a dash-mounted Flip video camera) of each of the 95 sections. I’ve covered 5,000 miles to date, traveling on state highways and gravel roads.
• Ground Cloths, mixed media textile constructions which respond to a particular location and which document what is unseen, invisible, remembered or imagined.

In this public talk at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum (presented in conjunction with the exhibition SAQA Showcase: Studio Art Quilts Invitational) I give a visual overview of Mapping Nebraska. I approach stitching, like mapping, as a fundamental way of converting personal knowledge to transmittable knowledge and I share some of what I’ve learned as I stitch (draw and travel) across Nebraska.

The "Download" button at right links to a low-res version (18 Mb); a high-res version (70 Mb) is attached below as am "Additional file."