The Tamale Quilt by Jane Tenorio-Coscarelli

This year’s challenge is to create 6 quilts inspired by books.  I’ve chosen a series of bilingual children’s books written and illustrated by my good friend and fellow quilter, Jane Tenorio-Coscarelli.  

Jane was a renowned author, freelance artist, quilt designer and owner of the quarter inch publishing company, who shared her Mexican heritage, traditions and childhood memories with her readers through colorful illustrations and heartwarming tales. She used to travel throughout the US and Mexico lecturing, teaching and sharing her love of quilts and books with guilds and children of all ages.  

The Tamale Quilt opens with the Christmas traditions of her Nanas home and family with colorful illustrations, a quilt pattern and a recipe for tamales.  In my interpretation of her book I made a miniature T block using her quilt pattern, her appliqué pattern and her colors. Red hearts are for the chile sauce. Green leaves are the fields of corn that she and her brother played hide and seek. Yellow is for the corn husks they dried and wrapped up with masa and chile. The brown hands are her mothers and fathers hands as they kneaded the heavy masa.  

I used commercial fabrics that I over dyed, machine quilted corn stalks simulating fields, and I used dark thread to give the feel of an ink drawing, The butterflies are in memory of my dear friend Jane. I feel so blessed to have called her my friend and sister of color as she affectionately called me. I am forever grateful for the precious time we spent together.