Master of Thread Artistry:  Ted Storm

by Lilo Bowman

Ted Storm, winner of the 2007 Robert S. Cohan Master Award for Thread Artistry at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to chat with The Quilt Show about her early introduction into the world of quilting, and to share the stories behind a few pieces of her amazing work.

Ted, who grew up in Holland, learned needlework in school and by watching her grandmother stitch embroidery. From an early age, Ted demonstrated a flair for embellishment and for making collages with fabric. 

During her last year of what, in the US, would be the equivalent of high school, Ted's textile arts teacher recognized the young woman's talents, and suggested that she attend a school specializing in textile design. Ted visited the school and realized immediately that this was the field to which she was called. The school only accepted 28 students for the four-year program, and of the 28, only seven graduated with a masters degree in textile design. 

While Ted was in the last year of the program, her high school mentor was killed in an automobile accident. This affected Ted so deeply that she almost gave up her studies, but she decided to continue, as that is what her teacher would want her to do. 

After graduation, Ted was offered a position teaching textile arts. In the meantime, she continued exploring her own work, mostly wallhangings, and accepted commissions to create pieces for the lobbies of various architectural firms in Holland. 

During this time, Ted became interested in applique, but was told by a quilt-shop owner that applique was NOT quilting.  Shortly after, a friend advised Ted to go to Salzburg, Austria, for an upcoming show. Desperate to find someone to teach her about applique, Ted followed her friend's advice, and--in 1988--attended Quilt Expo Europa I in Salzburg. The experience completely changed her life. While sitting in the audience at one of the events, she met Lois K. Ide, from Bucyrus, OH, who was to become her new mentor. Lois had brought fat quarters of fabric to share, a tradition Ted knew nothing about. The two began conversing, and Ted asked, "Do you know how to applique?" Lois did, and invited Ted to her home in Ohio to learn.

Over 1988 Easter break, Ted spent a week with Lois in Ohio, learning everything possible about quilting and applique. Ted came to consider Lois as her "quilting mother," a generous teacher who was completely open and willing to share all her knowledge with a new friend.

Holland's Glorie, 63" x 63"

Upon returning to Holland, Ted wanted to make a thank-you gift for Lois that would represent Holland, and decided to use a piece of her grandmother's Royal Delftware as the inspiration for the quilt that would come to be titled Holland's Glorie. In preparation, she utilized all the skills that she had learned from Lois to make two samples before beginning the larger quilt.

When it was finished, Holland's Glorie was entered into the 1992 Quilt Expo, in The Hague, Netherlands, and won both 1st Place and Viewer's Choice. Ted says that it was a real shock to the Dutch quilting world at that time, as her quilt was nothing like the quilts and designs that were being made in Holland. As a result of the notoriety, she left her "regular" teaching job and began traveling and teaching quilting full time.

Nocturnal Garden, 80" x 80"

Even with a very busy teaching schedule, Ted continued to set aside time to devote to her personal work. Nocturnal Garden, which was inspired by Holland’s Delft history, includes a variety of needlework elements, including hand applique, hand embroidery with shisha mirrors and beads, trapunto, and hand quilting. The quilt won several major awards, including Best of Show in Houston in 2001.

Spring of Desire, 80" x 80"

An even more recent quilt, Spring of Desire, tells a very personal story. According to tradition in Holland, a bride carries a handkerchief on her wedding day. Ted has been fortunate to inherit the handkerchief that has been carried by each young bride in her family since 1829, and wanted to create a quilt based on the design of this delicate, batiste piece of family history. Once again, she combined applique, trapunto, and shisha mirrors--over 280 of them!--in the quilt, which is done entirely by hand. The best part, however, is what the viewers do NOT see. 

Spring of Desire, Label

The label on the back of the quilt incorporates a piece of Ted's wedding dress, as well as that of her mother.  Also included in the label is a list of family weddings, dating back to 1829, in which the handkerchief has been carried. What a wonderful tribute to family history...and to think it all began with the sharing of fabric and a conversation with a generous quilter!

To learn more about Ted Storm, visit her website here.