The threads of a colorful passion for quilts

Roderick Kiracofe shares his love for the history and art of quilts.|

Born in the Midwest in 1951, Roderick Kiracofe was fascinated by old things. By the time he was in high school he was going to farm auctions and exploring basements. He paid little attention to quilts until 1973 when he and his then-girlfriend slept under a quilt her great-aunt had made.

The handmade blanket reminded him of his seamstress grandmother: he was fascinated by the craftsmanship and care.

The following year, he saw a quilt hanging on the wall of an instructor. The two - the useful quilt and the wall art - “were burned into my psyche.”

Two years later, back in the Midwest, he bought his first quilt. By then he had come out, and his partner at the time had grown up with quilts.

“We had this mutual passion and interest. We began buying quilts,” he said.

When a friend asked if he’d be interested in selling, “No way,” was his answer. “I’m buying them because I like them.” And they were still inexpensive: $25 at most.

Then, on a trip to New York City, the partners saw quilts being sold for $500.

“That was a lot of money.”

They began thinking about moving to New York or San Francisco and starting a quilt business.

They tested the market at a show in Michigan - and didn’t sell a single quilt. But, they met a “wonderful dealer,” who told them they had great quilts, but at the wrong show. She directed them to a monthly show in Ann Arbor, Mich., and they sold every quilt.

That was a turning point, Kiracofe said. “I loved the quilts, loved going to New York, but realized we’d never be able to afford all the quilts we wanted. So maybe finding great quilts to put into others’ collections was the way to go.” And, he added, “It would be nice to make money.”

Eventually, “we filled the back seat of the car full of quilts and moved to San Francisco.” They’d signed up to do an antique show in November with the quilts they’d brought, but friends suggested they show them to dealers - and the dealers bought every one.

“But there was still this show to do…” They quickly headed back to the Midwest. Kiracofe laughed. “We told our dealers we needed more quilts - not that we’d sold everything.”

They were on their way, meeting the right people, including corporate art buyers; talking at quilt guilds; learning about contemporary quilts. They felt there needed to be a publication that married antique and modern quilts, so they created an annual Quilt Digest, showing the disparate styles, featuring well-researched articles by respected members of the quilt world, using quilts from west coast collectors and makers, proving the quilt world flourished on the Pacific side of the country as well as the Atlantic.

“There was nothing like it,” Kiracofe said, “It had a huge impact.”

As his knowledge and reputation grew, he was asked to create a quilt bible. “My original response was ‘No,’ because of the hard work.” But after thinking about it, he changed his mind.

The result was “The American Quilt: The History of Cloth and Comfort.” The seven-year project, released in 1993, “made a huge impact,” he said, “and is considered the go-to book on quilt history.”

More than 10 years later, “I woke up one morning with the thought, ‘I wonder what quilts were like from 1950 to the end of the 20th century.”

It was a common belief, Kiracofe said, that quilt making stopped after World War II. “People didn’t need quilts any more; there were blankets.”

But, had quilting really stopped?

By this time, eBay was prolific. He could “drive around” from his computer, rather than prowling back roads. “I started bidding on things and the boxes would arrive. Oh my gosh, they were so much better than I’d thought.”

What he learned during this quilt odyssey was: “The quilts I am most passionate about are pieced, often crudely quilted or tied, and full of printed fabrics. Most importantly, they are the quirky, funky and soulful expressions from a soulful quiltmaker who broke the rules.”

A chance meeting with an editor led to another book - on these forgotten, neglected coverlets. That book, “Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000,” was released last September. In conjunction with it, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art has been running an exhibit through May 17.

“It’s a fantastic book,” he said, adding with a smile, “if I do say so myself. It’s exciting to receive feedback.” He appreciates the enthusiasm of the younger generations beginning to learn about the 250-plus year history of this American needlework that is as much art as craft.

When asked if he quilts, Kiracofe described what happened when he walked by a group of quilters at a show. “They handed me a needle this long,” he said, finger-measuring about an inch, “and I said, “Where’s the rest of it?”

Kiracofe did his best - in the tradition of his grandmother - but was not encouraged when he was told, “Don’t worry: we’ll take out your mistakes.”

“It was fun to sit there,” he concluded, smiling, “but that’s not my calling.”

(Contact Katie Watts at argus@arguscourier.com.)

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