School Days

This work incorporates quilting, cross-stitch, and stencil. The center panel’s stitching depicts a schoolhouse, two children, and two trees, along with a meandering row of letters of the alphabet. Animals are scattered throughout the letters, including a bird near the “B,” a dog or deer near the “D,” and a turtle near the “T.” The green fabric border is stenciled with a geometric design in white paint and the quilt layers are tied with cream and green embroidery thread. The backing of the quilt is pieced from the same dark green as the border, and a dark calico cloth.

After moving to Washington, DC following World War II, Ira Blount mastered dozens of artisanal crafts. His love for crafting, learning, and community engagement would endure over the course of his long life and career.