Betsy's Collection
Focus on a special group of pieces within the Maria C. Vallejo Lace Collection
According to Ms. Vallejo –
“This collection of items is very meaningful to me. Betsy was my friend’s grandmother, who would come home each day after work, cook and clean and iron, and then work on beautifying her simple things. It was her labor of love. She made yards and yards of crocheted edging, and with such skill. She would create individual rows in two colors. Pillowcases, handkerchiefs, placemats – all made into works of art through her stitching.
Betsy’s modest life in the city of Espanola, New Mexico was simple yet colorful. Mother to many children and grandmother to many little ones, Betsy made sure her chores were done promptly and nearly perfect. Order and beauty were vital in the home. After learning of my love for manual and needle arts, Maryanne, Betsy’s granddaughter, and my friend, offered to give me some of her labor of love.
After cooking, cleaning, washing, sweeping, and mopping, Betsy rewarded herself by relaxing with needle and cloth in her lap. Embroidery became her meditative moment and her spiritual connection. It was the era of the Great Depression. She was thrifty. She was prolific. She recycled her well-worn pillowcases into embroidered doilies. She monogrammed a scrap of fabric to create a small runner for her dresser. Let's imagine her perfume bottles resting on it. Embroidery offered Betsy the rest, calmness, beauty, and color she craved after a very long day of household work. I cherish her embroidered pieces.”
Mini Exibición De Algunas Piezas Hechas Por Betsy
Esta colección de obras manuales es muy significativa para mí. Betsy la abuela de mi amiga, tan pronto terminaba sus quehaceres domésticos, ella cocinaba, barría, limpiaba y planchaba, y luego trabajaba en embellecer sus carpetitas
sencillas. Era su obra de amor. Hizo metros y metros de ribete de ganchillo, y con tanta habilidad. Creaba filas individuales en dos colores. Fundas de almohadas, pañuelos, mantelefue individuales, todo convertido en obras de arte a través de sus costuras.
Esta colección y variedad de colores de Betsy, abuela de Marianne, me lleva a mis primeras aventuras de conservar textiles. Betsy terminaba sus quehaceres domésticos, barrer trapear, cocinar, limpiar, planchar y sin duda, y presumo que hasta remendar. Hizo metros y metros de ribete combinados con colores. Con ellos adornaba sus sábans, fundas de almohada, individuales, manteles, pañuelos, carpetitas, todo in arte, su obra de amor.
La vida de Betsy, en la ciudad de Española en Nuevo Mexico fue simple y salpicada de color con un estilo propio. El orden, la belleza y el color en sus bordados eran su conección spiritual. Fue prolífica, mesurada y creativa. Ella reciclaba sus retazos para convertirlos en obras meastras. Imaginémos por un momento su perfume en su carpetita favorita. El bordadle le ofrecía a Betsy el descanso, la calma y el color que tanto añoraba después de un largo y arduo día de quehaceres.
