Ghost

Quilter Carson Converse’s series “Collaboration with Unknown Maker” creates tender connections between unknown quilters and today’s modern quilting movement. Converse’s style is minimal, including large areas of negative space often covered in precise machine quilting that helps to create new visuals, color gradients, and textures. As a winner of multiple ribbons at QuiltCon, the Modern Quilt Guild’s annual conference, her work is rooted in the present—but often calls back to the past. 

Using an old and damaged quilt as batting, while not a common quilting practice, has been one way to sustainably make quilts for generations. As quilts become damaged or old, some quilters have chosen to put an entire quilt in the middle of a new quilt. Generally, this decision was made out of necessity. Instead of purchasing new batting, using an old quilt added extra warmth without adding cost to the new quilt. 

In most cases, the quilt used as batting becomes invisible. But for Converse, allowing the original quilt to show through is exactly what sustains that quilt’s story, and sustains her connection to once-known quilters in the past.

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