During the summer, Lillie Ballard looked forward to the days when graduate student Heather Williams would come to the Scan-telbury Senior Residence on Dixwell Avenue to teach a small group of women there how to quilt. While she had learned to quilt as a child growing up in North Carolina, the 87-year-old Ms. Ballard hadn't quilted in years and was at first uncertain about her skill at the craft. It didn't take long, however, for her to remember how much she enjoyed it.
"I just loved having Heather come here," says Ms. Ballard. "She's a great teacher. And at 87, it's nice to be able to do something that keeps my mind occupied."
Ms. Ballard was one of about 40 women who took up quilting this summer under the tutelage of Ms. Williams, a doctoral student in American studies, who taught the craft over a nine-week period at four New Haven senior centers as a President's Public Service Fellow. The fellowships, which were awarded by President Richard C. Levin to 30 students this past summer, enable recipients to work for nonprofit agencies or to design their own service projects.
For her self-designed project, Ms. Williams made weekly visits to the Scantelbury Senior Center and went twice weekly to Mary B. Ashford Adult Services on Shelton Avenue, the Dixwell Senior Center on Bristol Street and the Newhallville Over-Sixty Club, which meets at the Jackie Robinson Middle School on Fournier Street. Bringing along sewing tools and fabric, she taught both basic and advanced quilting techniques to the women. The participants selected their favorite fabrics to piece together small handmade quilts -- most about the size of wall hangings -- that reflect their own tastes and personalities. Thirty of their quilts are now on display in the exhibit "Community of Quilters" on view through Oct. 15 at the New Haven Public Library on Elm Street.
"It was really an experience for me to see all of their works together and to see how excited the women were at the reception for the exhibit," says Ms. Williams. "Many of them brought along family members to the event, and they were just beaming with pride."
For Ms. Williams, her summer fellowship allowed her to combine her love of the craft with her interests in teaching and serving the community in which she lives. The latter interests have, in fact, characterized much of her adult life. A 1978 graduate of Harvard University, she earned her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1981 and worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, the City of New York's Child Protective Services department and the New York State Attorney General's Office. She also served as the general counsel for Miracle Makers, an organization that provides programs for homeless individuals and people with AIDS, and supports foster care and day care programs. Several years ago, she gave up her law career to teach at Saint Ann's School in New York City. She came to Yale to pursue graduate work in preparation for a career as a college teacher. Her main area of study is the education of newly freed slaves following the Civil War.
Designs own work. A native of Jamaica who grew up both there and in New York City, Ms. Williams taught herself how to quilt 13 years ago and has made about 75 quilts to date. Not content to limit herself to the traditional patchwork of American quilts, she uses vibrant African fabrics and patterns, as well as finely detailed appliqué work. "I like to make my own pictures, which kind of evolve as I work on a quilt," says Ms. Williams. One of her particular favorites is a quilt that is imprinted with a photograph of her grandmother, as well as one she made after the deaths of her mother and her brother. On one side are two flying birds, representing her deceased family members; on the other side are three birds symbolizing herself and her two sisters. On another quilt, the centerpiece is the figure of an African woman who is adorned in beads and jewelry, holding a gourd in one hand and a coconut in the other .
While quilting when she is alone is like "meditation" for her, Ms. Williams says one of the things she enjoyed most about quilting with women this summer was that it brought out the storyteller in many of the craftswomen.
"For a lot of the women, quilting brings up a lot of memories of the past," explains Ms. Williams. "People remember their mothers or grandmothers doing it and it takes them back to their childhoods. The women would tell all kinds of stories about things they suddenly remembered. For instance, one woman told about how she and her siblings used to sneak under the quilting frame in the living room, where, hidden from view by the quilt, they could listen to the adult conversation taking place as the women worked."
A sense of community. Her experience this summer also created a stronger sense of community for Ms. Williams, who is now in her second year of a six-year doctoral program. "During my first year here, I had a certain path that I took from home to campus and I didn't venture far off that little path," she says. "Suddenly, as I walked down Goffe Street on my way to one of the senior centers, I discovered that there's a whole world out there. People were very welcoming; every time I went that way I'd have a conversation with Lorenzo, a man in a wheelchair who 'holds court' on the sidewalk, for example. Just having these kinds of little conversations connected me with people who offer so much to the community."
It was also inspiring for her to see how some of the women she taught persevered on their quilts in spite of problems with glaucoma, arthritis and other ailments. "Some of them surprised me and surprised themselves with their talent," Ms. Williams says.
Now that her summer students have discovered their ability for quilt-making, many of them plan to continue the work they began with Ms. Williams. At the Scantelbury Senior Residence, for example, the women have already planned their next project, a large quilt that can be hung on the wall. Trixie McClain, an 80-year-old resident of Scantelbury, notes, "I was afraid that I couldn't see well enough to do the sewing involved in quilting, but I did better than I expected." Today Ms. McClain's quilt is among those on view in the "Community of Quilters" exhibit. "Heather really got us going," she says, "and now I don't want to stop."
--By Susan Gonzalez
In February, Ms. Williams' own quilts will be on view in the Small Space Gallery at the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.