From the bridge
This quilt captures a phrase spoken on the bridge of the scientific research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Each red fabric represents a different letter of the alphabet. The red and white colors are a nod to the history of Turkey red dye and its use as a fabric choice since the 1740's. As a symbol of wealth and status, it seemed appropriate to make a quilt in honor of the JOIDES Resolution captain and its bridge crew with these colors to recognize their essential role in leading ship operations. All of the fabric on the front of the quilt, including the red binding, is a 3 Cats Shweshwe fabric manufactured by Da Gama Textiles in South Africa, where JOIDES Resolution departed from and returned to for Expedition 390. The flame pattern used for the quilting is a hint and ties into the message coded in the quilt.
Quilt measures 71 inches wide by 48 inches tall and was completed April 7, 2023.
Quilt showing a coded message heard from the bridge of JOIDES Resolution during IODP Expedition 390
Section of the top row of quilt
Section of the bottom row of quilt
Activity for classrooms
If you are a classroom teacher or informal educator, you can use this quilt as a starting point for a student investigation. See this resource document for ideas on how to have students solve this puzzle and links to explore additional red and white quilts online.
Full quilt description
This quilt captures a phrase commonly spoken on the bridge of the scientific research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Can you decipher the phrase?
Each red fabric represents a different letter of the alphabet. The red and white colors are a nod to quilting history. The Turkey red dye was a desirable choice for fabric in the 1740's and 50's, as the red color did not fade with washing or from being in sunlight. However, there was an exorbitant cost for importing and exporting the Turkey red dyed fabric from where it was first developed (the origin of the dyeing process is unclear - possibly beginning in Greece or India). With the time of up to four months and labor necessary for dyeing the cotton, Turkey red was a symbol of wealth and status.
The procedure for dyeing fabric red eventually spread to the UK and Western Hemisphere, with red and white quilts becoming a classic color scheme since the early 19th century. Red and white quilts peaked in popularity at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century. This color combination was especially popular for the construction of fundraising quilts for organizations such as the Red Cross. With the history of red and white quilts, especially the story of Turkey red, it seemed appropriate to make a quilt in honor of the JOIDES Resolution's captain and the bridge crew with these colors and to recognize their essential role in leading the ship operations.
QUILT DETAILS
All of the fabric on the front of the quilt, including the red binding, is a 3 Cats Shweshwe fabric manufactured by Da Gama Textiles in South Africa. For Expedition 390, JOIDES Resolution departed from and returned to port in Cape Town, South Africa. The long-arm sewing was completed by Old Country Store Fabrics in Intercourse, PA. The flame pattern used for the quilting is a hint and ties into the message coded in the quilt.
Quilt measures 48 inches tall by 71 inches wide and was completed on April 7, 2023.