Los hilos de la vida

A New School Year Begins

2008-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

The new year brought in new students and new energy. We are currently working on Day of the Dead quilt squares for a fundraising quilt for Project Sanctuary and the Anderson Valley Adult School. The Day of the Dead celebration at the Little River Inn on the coast was so popular that it has become an annual event.

Pictured here are Marina working on a quilt, and Marilena holding her Day of the Dead square.

Chicago's Museum of Mexican Art

2008-09-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

On June 28, 2008, the Museum of Mexican Art opened an exhibit called, A Declaration of Immigration. It featured several quilts by Los Hilos artists. Our participation in this exhibit was made possible by the efforts of Karen Musgrave.

The quilt shown here, The Trip With No Return by Alma Carillo, was in the show.

The End of Los Hilos???

2008-05-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

We were notified at the end of May by Even Start that all 28 rural Even Start programs would lose their funding. We were definitely in panic mode. What to do? Molly began research, contacted funding sources, community members, etc. and was able to get part of our funding reinstated for this year only. We will continue to look for other means to fund the program, including grants, Hilos crafts projects, donations, etc.

Pinturas de fe

2008-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Pinturas de fe, the Retablo tradition in Mexico and New Mexico show from January through April, 2008 at the Hearst Art Gallery in St. Mary's College in Moraga, California had several of Los Hilos quilts hanging in the gallery shop. The quilt pictured here, Uniting of Two Nations by Marlen Gaxiola was sold from the gallery store. Way to go, Marlen!

Los Hilos gains recognition from Even Start

2008-01-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Molly attended the January Even Start conference where she was presented with a Certificate of Recognition for her dynamic literacy program with Latina women, part of which is the quiltart program of Los Hilos de la Vida.

Movie Premier !!!!

2007-11-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

Our movie, Los Hilos de la Vida, had its first showing to the Boonville community that has supported us so much during our formation. The showing was at Lauren's Restaurant and everyone loved it. It made us laugh and cry as we listened to stories of border crossings and struggles in the United States.

The DVD is for sale for $15.00. Email us if you'd like a copy. The 25 minute DVD was filmed by Lee Serrie, edited by Tom Wolsky, with music by Marcos Pereda. Lee also filmed The Secrets of Salsa DVD.

Spring of 2007

2007-04-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

*Photo Session with John Blaustein for the Irvine Foundation-A big thank you to John . He is also taking the photos for the book we are making, featuring quilts and stories of 45 Los Hilos de la Vida Artists.
*Lee Serrie and Los Hilos are still working on our Documentary film which we plan to have completed in June 2007
*Women's Cancer Resource Center, Oakland show was 11/2006 to 2/2007. We want to thank Art & Remembrance for the royal treatment at our opening, for providing money for transportation, for helping us with advertising costs and for doing a dual show with us so viewers could compare/contrast the artwork of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (a fabric artist who depicts scenes of her childhood during the Polish Holocaust) to the works of the artists of Los Hilos de la Vida
*Rural Community Assistance Corporation Conference-Long Beach, February 26-March 1st
*A special thanks to Karen Musgrave for promoting our program from Chicago. She recently came out in March and interviewed our quilters for the Save our Stories Project, a project of the Alliance for American Quilts . Upon her return to Chicago she wrote a wonderful article about Los Hilos which will come out in the December 2007 issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. AND THEN Karen called Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) and helped us get accepted for the October 2008 Show! We'll see you there!
*Breggo Cellars, Boonville until April 2007
*Scharffenberger Cellars, Philo Until April 2007
*Mendocino Hotel, Mendocino-May 3-17. opening Cinco de Mayo for info call Jaime at 937-0051 or Molly at (707)895-3277.
*Memorial Weekend Quilt Show, Guests of Honor May 25, 26, 27 363 North Main Street, FB
*La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley June-July
*Lauren's Restaurant - Don't miss the Art Walk on the 4th of July! The show will be up until August.
*August or TBA: We also hope to have our new book printed and ready for signing during our show at Lauren's.

Hanging the show and the Marin Market

2006-11-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

Some of the Los Hilos women went to the bay area last weekend to sell quilts at the Marin Farmer's Market. They made many new friends and sold two pieces. Many people came by the farmer's market and Eva said "Hey, welcome!" in English. She tried salty pineapple chicken legs for the first time at Whole Foods and said it was very rich.

They also went to the Women's Cancer Resource Center and the Judah L. Magnes Museum and met with the art director Margo, who was a great help. Our show is called "Stitching Their Stories" and is co-sponsored by Art & Remembrance, whose show will coincide with ours.

Women's Cancer Resource Center gallery
5741 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
"Los Hilos de la Vida/ Threads of Life"
December 3, 2006-January 19, 2007
Opening with the Artists Sunday, December 3, 2006, 12-3pm

Judah L. Magnes Museum
2911 Russell Street, Berkeley
November 20, 2006-February 11, 2007
"Through the Eye of the Needle: Fabric Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz"
Opening Sunday, December 3, 2006, 2-5 pm

We did have a few mishaps along the way. Luzma suddenly became very ill and the van took a three hour detour to the emergency room through rush hour traffic in Berkeley. She was fine and we got home OK.

-Amy

2006-11-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

The Community Foundation is sponsoring the making of our documentary film and book. The book, coming out in the summer of 2007, will have one story and picture of a quilt from each woman participating in the program.

We will also have a show opening November 20th with an opening reception December 3 at the Women's Cancer Resource Center at 5741 Telegraph Avenue (off Ashby) Oakland, CA 94609. The show is in conjunction with a show by Art and Remembrance, "Memories of Survival" at The Judah A. Magnes Museum. Their opening will also be December 3. The joint show idea was the brainchild of Benita Kline, who saw our show at CIIS, and Molly, who has worked so hard to make this happen. Please come and see both quilt shows which feature themes of struggle, celebration, and survival.

Marin Farmer's Market Show

2006-11-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready for a show and sale of our work at the Marin Farmer's Market on Sunday, November 19th! The Market is held at the Civic Center in San Rafael, 8am to 1 pm. There are so many new quilts and stories, we are scrambling to get them ready for the show. I am starting to work with the women of Los Hilos, and I will be writing on blogspot occasionally, so stay tuned!!

-Amy

Mendocino College Gallery Show

2006-09-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Our show opened on September 7th and goes to October 19. Gallery hours are 12:30-3:30 Tuesday-Thursday or by appointment (707)468-3207. Thank you to Paula Gray, who has made this show special by offering tours to many of the college classes. Thanks to those of you who supported us during our opening party.

Thank you Margaret for the gift of lovely batiks!

Many of our artists have children at Mendocino College. These students had a chance to see their mothers honored as artists.

Carmela's Day of the Dead Quilt

2006-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

New Show at Pumpkin Seeds fabric store in San Rafael

2006-03-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

Jennifer McCoy saw our quilts at the Point Reyes Farmers Market and she invited us to hang a show in her welcoming, well stocked store, Pumpkin Seeds. Please stop by and visit Jennifer, Norma and Leslie at 1414 4th Street, between D & E in San Rafael. The show runs until April 30, 2006. Call Pumpkin Seeds (415)453-4758 for store hours. There is a wonderful article in the Marin Independent Journal. Many thanks to the Bay Area quilters for all of the generous donations we received at our opening! We are very pleased that three quilts have sold already.

2006-03-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

La Medusa
Medusa
by Olga Medina

2006-03-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

La Charreria Mujeres Charras O Escaramuzas by Luzma Bucio

En México con la llegada de los españoles se formaron las grandes haciendas, dando lugar a la llegada de trabajadores para atender al ganado. Esto obligo a los hacendados a buscar a los mestizos para atender dicho ganado. Los mestizos buscaron nuevas técnicas para domesticar a los animales. Creándose así los chinacos como fueron llamados en aquel tiempo ahora son charros que se dedican ir por pueblos llevando este deporte mexicano esto a traspasado fronteras, ya que tenido concursos fuera del país.
Las suertes charras que ahora se conocen se llaman LAZO A CABALLO, COLEADERO, JINETEAR, AMANSAR YEGUAS, SUERTES A PIE Y A CABALLO, Y ESCARAMUSAS.
En este cuadro me enfoque en las escaramuzas. Ya que fue todo
un reto para las mujeres poder entrar en un ruedo montadas a caballo. El dominar un caballo les dio el pase para un papel en una careada. Las escaramuzas se presentan después del PASO DE LA MUERTE. Son las que adornan nuestro deporte nacional y le dan elegancia como toda MUJER CHARRA.

TRADICION MEXICANA, ORGULLO DE NUESTRA TIERRA.

The Cowgirls Of The Mexican Rodeo by Luzma Bucio

When the Spanish arrived to Mexico they built huge haciendas. The Spanish needed workers to care for their cattle. Even though, at that time the Spanish did not like the Mestizos, they needed their help to take care of their cattle. The Mestizos looked for new ways to domesticate the animals. In this way, the first chinacos, “cowboys” were born during that time. Now they are called Charros. They are dedicated to going to pueblos continuing this Mexican tradition and sport. This sport has traveled across borders, and now the tradition takes place outside of the country of Mexico.
The skills that the Charros, cowboys, demonstrate are: lassoing,
lassoing tricks while on horse back, like jumping through the lasso while it is spinning and rider is standing on a horse; coleadero, the cowboy grabs a calf by the neck and flips it while being timed; jinetear, bucking bull; amansar yeguas, like coleadero, except the cowboy ties the calf’s legs. suertes a pie y a caballo, fall an animal with a lasso, from a horse or on foot; escaramusas, cowgirls riding in sequence.
In this quilt I focus on the cowgirls. It was very difficult for women to become part of the rodeo, they had to ride sidesaddle. The first cowgirl in Mexico rode in 1810. By riding horses in the show, women participated in the rodeo ring for the first time. The women’s horse show takes place after the Paso de la Muerte (an event where a cowboy jumps from one bucking bull to a second one.) Now women can participate in all of the rodeo sports. These cowgirls bring beauty and elegance to our national / international sport.

A MEXICAN TRADITION, PRIDE OF OUR LAND

2006-03-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

A Secret Place by Elizabeth Herrera

This quilt makes me feel very relaxed. I made this scene because I really like nature and beautiful things like flowers and water. I wish we would have more time to go and relax and have fun in places like this.

Un lugar secreto

Este colcha me hace sentir muy relajada. Hice este paisaje porque a mí me gusta la naturaleza y cosas bonitas como las flores y el agua. Me gustaría que tuviéramos más tiempo para ir a relajarnos y divertirnos en lugares como este.

2006-03-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

El angel maternal - Motherly Angel by Celia Guerrero

2006-03-18T15:12:00.000-08:00

La cascada
Carmela Valdivia

En México en el estado de Michoacán hay muchas lugares hermosas de la naturaleza. Me gusta mucho cuando vamos con mi familia cada diciembre. Nos gusta llevar a nuestros hijos a los parques donde hay cascadas y mucha vegetación y los ríos con su agua cristalina. Yo les enseño a mis hijos que observan la naturaleza y escuchen la felicidad de los pájaros, al tener vegetación y mucho agua para que mis hijos aprenden a cuidar los árboles y el agua y los animales. En Michoacán hay diferentes lugares donde conservan y cuidan mucho la vegetación, las cascadas y los ríos. Los cantos de diferentes pájaros. Me gusta mucho Michoacán.

The Waterfall
In México, in the state of Michoacan, there are a lot of beautiful natural scenes. I like it a lot, when I travel to México with my family in December. We like to take our children to the parks to see the waterfalls, beautiful vegetation and the crystal clear rivers. We observe nature and listen with pleasure to the birds. I want my children to learn to take care of the trees, water and animals. There are different nature reserves with a variety of wildlife in México. I love Michoacan.

2006-03-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Mi casa en las montanas My Dream Home in the Mountains
by Aurora Torres

2006-03-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

El viaje sin regreso - One Way Trip by Alma Carrillo

Para muchos hermanos latinos este viaje a la libertad puede ser un viaje sin regreso. Hemos escuchado a lo largo de nuestra vida las experiencias de la personas que cruzan hacia este país esperando tener un mejor futuro para sus familias. Hemos oído del sufrimiento que experimentan en esos momentos y de las personas que llegan a esta frontera y nunca regresan con sus familias. Para mí fue muy difícil porque yo tenía que pasar corriendo por el cerro. Tenía mucho miedo todo el tiempo pero quería que mis hijos tuvieran lo que yo no tuve. Yo sé que estuve arriesgando la vida de mis hijos y la mía pero al final gracias a Dios y a las personas desconocidas que cruzaban juntos con nosotros estamos bien.

One Way Trip
For many of my Latino brothers and sisters this journey to freedom may be a one-way trip. All our lives we dream about the experience of people who cross in to this country hoping for a better future for their families, about the suffering they experience during that time or about the people who reach the border and never return to their families. It was very difficult for me because I had to cross running though the hills. The whole time, I was very afraid but I wanted my children to have the future that I didn’t have. I know that I risked the life of my children as well as my own, but in the end, with the help of God and the unknown people with whom we crossed, we are safe.

Los Hilos on KPFA, Berkeley

2006-02-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

Alma and Angeles on the Morning Show. Thank you to Amelia Gonzalez and Andrea Lewis

Opening Night at CIIS

2006-02-03T13:16:00.001-08:00

Opening night presentation-artists panel includes Angeles, Elizabeth, Alma, Celia and Teresa.

You are invited to our quilt opening.

2006-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

California Institute of Integral Studies will host our quilt show opening party on the 3rd floor of the main building.
Join us for live Cuban folk music, by Marcos Pereda, Salsa tasting (samples from our Secrets of Salsa book), great art and a presentation from the students.
Quilts and written stories are displayed.

Friday, February 3rd, 2006
7:00-9:00 pm
1453 Mission Street (between 10th and 11th Streets)
We hope to meet you there.

Hanging our show at CIIS

2006-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

Molly, Alma, Angeles, Luzma, Susan and Deanna went to San Francisco on Wednesday to hang our show on the 3rd floor at CIIS.

Angeles is on the ladder, while Alma and Luzma supervise.

2006-01-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

The bliss of hard work accomplished! The CIIS show is hung.

2006-01-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

The artists are hard at work hanging the show.

Olga's quilt

2006-01-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Olga Medina

The Last Supper
I taught myself a little bit about sewing with a machine. My first quilt is the Last Supper. I always wanted to make this picture and now, I can because I have the opportunity to attend school. I like this theme and the image of this picture because it makes me remember when I was a little girl. My grandparents and parents told me that God shared bread everyday and for that reason I had to share with my 4 brothers and 5 sisters. They told all of my brothers and sisters the same thing because we did not have very much money. My brother came to the United States and started working very hard to send us money. In order to get ahead all of us continue to share. We have engrained in our minds that message that our parents and grandparents told us. Now I, Olga, am a mother and I teach my son the same.
La Última Cena
Yo me enseñé un poco a cocer a máquina y mí primer cuadro es La Última Cena. Yo siempre tuve ganas de hacer este dibujo y ahora que se presento la oportunidad de enseñarme porque ahora tengo la oportunidad de asistir a la escuela.

A mi me gusta el tema y la imagen de esta pintura porque me hace recordar cuando yo era niña. Mis abuelos y padres me hablaban de que Dios compartía el pan de cada día y que yo tenía que compartir con mis 5 hermanas y 4 hermanos, la comida. Todos mis hermanos y yo hacíamos lo mismo porque no había mucho dinero. Después mi hermano se vino para los Estados Unidos y fue que el empezó a trabajar duro. Para salir adelante todos mis hermanos y yo seguimos con la idea de seguir compartiendo lo mismo. Tenemos en mente lo que nuestros padres y abuelos nos decían. Ahora yo, Olga, soy madre y yo hago lo mismo con mi hijo.

Alma and her quilt Familia Mexicana

2006-01-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

Mi Familia / My Family
Alma Carillo

Mexican Family
The paintings of Diego Rivera inspired me to think about my family, that we want to work together to get ahead and make progress. I believe that the father is very important too, but the mother devotes 100% of her time to her children. This is my last picture in the style of Diego Rivera, as I begin a new step on this journey and begin to create my own original pictures.

Este cuadro de Diego Rivera me inspiró para pensar en mi familia y que tenemos que trabajar en conjunto para salir adelante y poder progresar. Pienso que en todas las familias la figura maternal es muy significativo; no podemos hacer menos al padre pero la madre es el 100% de tiempo para los hijos. Ahora con este cuadro dejo atrás a Diego para empezar una nueva etapa en esta carrera y realizar cuadros por mí misma.

Angeles and her quilt The Great Risk

2006-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

I call this picture “The Great Risk.” What inspired me was the memory I have of the sad experience we have when we cross the border into the United States with the desire for a better life. Crossing the border is a very dangerous path where we risk our life and that of our husband and children. The mother died in the desert. The children are crying for their mother, the father has no consolation. There is much sorrow, but without a doubt they will continue their road forward to the real American dream. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe represents the faith that we have that she will give us her blessings.
El gran riesgo / The Great Risk
Angeles Segura
Yo le llame a este cuadro “El gran riesgo.” Lo que me inspiró fué, el recuerdo que tengo de la experíenca tan triste que es el cruzar de la frontera para venir a Los Estados Unidos con el deseo de mejoral vida. El cruce de la frontera es un paso muy peligroso donde arríesgas tu vida, la de tu esposo y tus hijos. La mamá muere en el desierto. Los hijos lloran por mamá, el papá no tiene consuelo. Hay mucha tristeza más sin embargo ellos deben continuar su camino hacia adelante hacia el gran sueno Americano. La imagen de la virgen de Guadelupe significa la fé que tenemos en ella para recibir sus benediciones.

Carmela's quilt

2006-01-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Mexican Dream...The American Dream

Carmela Valdivia

The story of my quilt is the life of the Mexican when he comes to the United States for a better life. We are always dreaming of Mexico. Many people wonder why? The reason I dream of Mexico so often is it makes me very sad to see the way the children have to work to support their families. They are not able to go to school to study. Many families cross, with their children. Maybe they do not think about the danger of death that they risk. The “Grave” River as we call it (El Rio Grande), has a history of carrying children and women to their death. Families also die in the desert of thirst or because the “coyote” (person who smuggles people over the U.S./Mexico border) abandons them. The little girl in my quilt died in the desert because she was abandoned by a “coyote”. I heard this on the news recently.

The illegal person who manages to cross the border comes to work day and night to be able to have a better life and a better future for his children.

Some illegal people cross alone, leaving their loved ones behind. They work hard to send American dollars home to build houses, to enable their children to study and to have a better life.

The American dreams has become a reality for us because the United States has given us work to make our futures better for our children and to improve our lives.
Sueño Mejicano...Sueño Americano
Carmela Valdivia

La historia de mi colcha es de la vida del mexicano cuando viene ilegal a los estados unidos por una vida mejor siempre estamos soñando los mexicanos en México. ?porque? se pregunta muchas personas. Porque en México me da mucha tristeza mirar a los niños como tienen que trabajar para ayudar a sus padres y no pueden estudiar.

La mayoría de hombres se vienen y se traen a sus hijos. Quizás no pueden imaginar el peligro que es cruzar la frontera. El rió bravo (Rió Grande) tiene historias de ilegales que mueren cruzándolo. Niños y mujeres se los lleva el rió. Mi colcha muestra la muerte en el desierto: mueren de sed o que el coyote los abandona. La niña que murió en el desierto porque la abandono el coyote.

El ilegal que logra pasar la frontera viene a trabajar de día y de noche para poder tener una vida mejor poder tener algo para el futuro de sus hijos.

Algunas personas ilegales dejan su familia y a sus hijos en México. Ellos trabajan mucho para mandarles dólares para hacer su casa y para que sus hijos estudien, y tengan una vida mejor.

El sueño americano es porque nuestros sueños se hacen realidad porque Estados unidos nos ha dado trabajo y un buen futuro para nuestros hijos y para vivir mejor.

We're famous

2005-12-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

We're so excited. An article about us appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle today, Stories in Stitches. Laramie Trevino came to Anderson Valley to do an article about the Salsitas, the women who created The Secrets of Salsa Cookbook, and came to our quilting class too.

We've already had three offers of fabric and we're hoping to get some sewing machines for the class also.

Our show at the California Institute of Integral Studies opens January 17, 2006. The opening reception is 2/3/06, 7-9pm. Please come see our quilts and visit with us.

Alma is working on a new quilt

2005-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Alma's new quilt will have aspects of life in Mexico and the United States. She is getting help with her idea for the border fence between the US and Mexico.

Here she's pinning the quilt top through the batting and backing. Much more comfortable to do this lying down than on her knees!

Angeles' new quilt

2005-12-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Angeles brought a new quilt to class. She is pointing out the fabulous Mexican dancers in the foreground.

Postcard from our show opening

2005-12-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Our current show opened at the Anderson Valley Wine Tasting Experience, across from the Boonville Hotel, on October 1st through December 31, 2005. If you are coming to or through Anderson Valley, we hope you'll stop and see our quilts.

A new venture for the hilos

2005-11-30T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today we've started our blog with high hopes and great expectations. We're excited about the opportunity to share our art with a larger community.

These story quilts began in an Anderson Valley Adult School Evenstart program last year. Our teachers are Molly Johnson Martinez and Susan Kerr, with volunteer help from members of the community, especially Lee Serrie and Deanna Apfel and members of the Mendocino Quilt Artists. We are learning English and quilting at the same time. All of our quilts tell a story, from the horrors of border crossings to village life in Mexico, family life here in the US and sometimes places we'd like to visit. We are doing raw edge collage work and machine quilting.