Q & A with Comma Workshop
Guest User
Our friend at Comma Workshop gives us a glance at the art of quilting and the beauty of being a maker...
Who are you:
I’m Kerry Larkin— I’m a quilter, architect, and a maker. I started Comma Workshop to celebrate experiences and stories while reinvigorating the traditional craft of quilting and through this, create thoughtful, modern-inspired quilts.
Where are you:
Beautiful Boulder, Colorado, and easily draw inspiration from here. But I also draw inspiration from western Colorado, rural Alabama, rural Pennsylvania. And, anywhere there are lots of trees.
What do you make:
At Comma Workshop, we bring a fresh perspective to the time-honored traditions of quilting and storytelling. We create timeless, sophisticated quilts, with a hint of playfulness that are functional heirlooms for your home. We currently have two collections:
Each of our quilts in our Signature Collection has as an original story or poem quilted directly into it. Stories of nature and adventure, travel and place-making, are thoughtfully stitched into every quilt by a collection of Colorado quilters. The 800+ words in every quilt are a functional part of the quilt holding three layers of fabric together. Wrapping the quilt around oneself, the user is invited to read snippets of the narratives.
Our new collection, Far & Wide, integrates vintage quilt tops and fabrics that I’ve collected on my travels. These new quilts celebrate stories, place, and experience in fresh, modern way. Historically, quilts carry their own stories with them. The material, the pattern, and the quilt technique chronicle the quilters’ lives and experiences. Thoughtfully integrating these into modern quilts allows me to introduce a new audience to the world of quilts.
Why are you a maker:
I grew up in western Pennsylvania and some of my earliest memories are of me and my sister playing under a large quilt stretched out on a frame where my great-grandma and her sisters sat and hand-quilted (and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch). My great-grandfather was a carpenter and built our cribs and toy boxes. For a while, he traveled the country building farm silos. My grandma was a seamstress and master upholsterer. Making is definitely in my genes. I was lucky enough to have all three of them in my life up until just a few years ago, so I feel like I’m honoring them by carrying on the making tradition.
Why support makers:
By supporting makers, you are allowing them to cultivate their passion, joy and curiosity. You’re contributing to the local economy and you become part of their story.
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