Ruby Cortner

My life began years ago on a farm in a rural part of Tennessee. Working with my hands brings me immense pleasure; I am never happier than when I am petting an animal, harvesting a crop, or constructing something. Handling fabric is an especially joyful experience for me. The colors, designs, feel of cloth--it's intoxicating. I have fond memories of my childhood when my mother instinctively knew that one of our mama cats or dogs was about to give birth to a litter of kittens or pups. Mama would fill a cardboard box full of cloth scraps to make their birth pains more bearable. I recall the once vivid colors of the fabric, muted over time, bringing comfort to those animals. They were quilts in their own way, save only the stitches, meant to convey warmth, love, and security. I too snuggled under quilts my paternal grandmother had made. Our family's late 1880s farmhouse had no insulation, so those quilts were necessary, and as I dreamed of what life had in store for me, they held my hopes. My path has taken me to some amazing countries full of beautiful people making incredible art. The textiles from these faraway lands call to me, inviting me to wrap myself in them. Guatemala, Peru, India, Turkey, Kenya, Tibet,--all places with rich traditions involving fabric handicrafts. If I had half the talent of the textile artists in these countries, the quilts and embroidered goods I could make! This photo is of women in the market of Antigua, Guatemala selling their handwoven and embroidered textiles. The colorful clothing they clad themselves in denotes the region of Guatemala they are from.  As the women weave their lovely fabrics, they pass the time by visiting with one another, and they always patiently allow me to sift through their wares, in absolute awe of the time and skill of each piece.