Exhibition Dates: August 17 - September 23

Artist’s Statement

Quilts from the Mill is a group of quilts inspired by photographs taken at Revolution Mill. The Mill’s history is reflected in its walls, buttresses, and mechanicals highlighted by red railings. stair risers, and overhead pipes.

My family has been in the textile industry for four generations, beginning with my great grandfather George F. Hutchins, who, as an inventor, held over 300 patents. My grandfather and father owned Whitaker Reed Company in Worcester, MA, manufacturing reeds for industrial and artisan looms. One of my sisters is an internationally recognized textile conservator. Textiles run through our blood.

I have been quilting since 1985, learning traditional techniques that provide the foundation for my current work, an alchemy of traditional and contemporary techniques, technology, and materials.

Beside each quilt, you will see the photograph which inspired the piece. Each design is original, some in collaboration with others. Becka Rahn’s fabric was inspired by my photograph of a mill wall; her fabric was used in Conduitand Between the Spaces. Lewis Hine was a photographer during the WPA; his image of the mill girl was used in If these Floors Could Talk.

I am a quiltist, creating art with textiles. My work in Quilts from the Millhonors those who worked in Revolution Mill. Please visit the History Gallery to learn more about the Mill and Mill Village life.

Artist Bio

Judi H. Bastion is a lifelong learner, pursuing her education and building her design, quilting, and photography skills. She earned her B.S. in Theatre, with a minor in French and an M.A. in Arts Administration. She also has graduate certificates in K-12 Education, Paralegal Studies, and Healthcare Analytics. She first learned how to quilt from Marsha McCloskey in Seattle, Washington in 1985, first learning the basics, then developing her own style. Her work has appeared in the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY, New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA, and Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO. Her work has been purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Wrangler, and private individuals. Judi is a life member of Maine Quilts, current President of Gate City Quilt Guild, and member of PAQA-South and SAQA. She is now retired and works in her studio full time.

Quilts from the Millis the second series of this kind. Judi’s first quilt series was inspired by photographs taken on a trip to Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York in June of 2016.