The Rev. Portia Corbin displays her award-winning quilt, “Web of Colors.” It was selected as part of a national traveling exhibit of award-winning quilts. Photo: Dawn Hurney
Diocese of Wisconsin] In the heart of Wisconsin’s quilting community, the Rev. Portia Corbin, part-time vicar at St. John’s in New London has made a name for herself with a distinctive quilt showcased at the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show.
Her piece was chosen as part of the “Quilt Challenge Exhibit,” with this year’s challenge focused on creating quilts using black and white, plus one additional color. “I chose yellow as my other color for no particular reason, except that I thought it would ‘pop,’” Corbin said.
The quilt itself, entitled “Web of Flowers,” is primarily crafted from cotton fabrics, with a unique twist: vintage doilies, one of which she hand-dyed black.
Each year, a panel of professionals selects which quilts will be exhibited in a special traveling show. “All of the quilts that were chosen for the ‘black and white plus one challenge’ are traveling together as a special exhibit at other quilt shows across the country,” Corbin said. “My quilt will travel with the others for two years, although I don’t yet know where exactly it’s going to appear.” She hopes to visit it in another city along its tour.
In her role as vicar and artist, Corbin’s hands are always busy. “I am always working on many, many things. If I’m sitting in a meeting (or even diocesan convention), you can bet that I’ll have a needle and thread in my hand,” she said.
Working on multiple projects simultaneously, she often switches between quilts, depending on inspiration. “It’s next to impossible to know how long it took to make. I work on multiple quilts at the same time and often switch when I get bored,” she explained. “All I can say is that many, many, many hours went into this quilt.”
Reflecting on the deeper meaning of her work, Corbin said, “I hope that people look at my quilt (or any quilt, really) as a piece of unique art. For me, it serves as a reminder that we are co-creators with God, and that our creativity can be expressed in millions of different and unique ways, and God delights in our creative works.”