Following the tradition of the contests that Quilters de México calls for every year, the theme “My house is your house: Mexican Hospitality” lets us see the different dimensions in which this very particular expression from our country can be understood. Each work shows in itself a relevant aspect of the warmth that we have proudly inherited. For some cultures, this expression —which is so common to us Mexicans— can’t be completely understood until it’s experienced in the flesh. That’s the secret of the Mexican hospitality and warmth, which foreigners discover when they come and immerse themselves in Mexican culture.
The original pattern is called The house that Jack built, which dates back to 1932. It’s surprising that such a simple pattern and theme can allow for so many ideas and creativity! Almost 100 years later, this pattern is still a source of inspiration that will never die.
Coincidentally and without having thought of it, this topic is especially relevant in the face of the constant flow of Central Americans, who —looking for better conditions of life— abandon their countries to establish themselves among us. The expression “Mi house is your house” is being confronted in terms of authenticity and the question is: will it still be significant? In a global world, a closed mindset seems old-fashioned. Will us Mexicans be able to open our mind to a new kind of hospitality — not just in the sense of receiving others in our homes or our country, but also in tolerating new ideas or ways of thinking, even if they don’t match our way of life?
Today, our country seems to be challenging us to live that experience of hospitality — not only physically, but globally in the face of a polarized society. The challenge is to create spaces of peace, tranquility, comfort and to coexist harmoniously with those who have a different way of understanding things. This collection serves as inspiration to return to those characteristics of our ancestral heritage and apply them in our daily life so that our house, our society, our country and especially our heart becomes a HOME that we can kindly share with others.
This collection was on display at the 11th Expo Patchwork & Quilt Mexico City 2019, the 2019 Patchwork Festival, the Southern New Mexico Festival of Quilts in Alamogordo, United States (2019), the National Quilt Festival South Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa (2019) and with the Kenya Quilt Guild in Nairobi, Kenya (2019).
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