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 am Jewell Blenker of Amherst, has pieced together a new image for herself as a home
economics student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She has become a star quilt maker. Besides
earning an A in a class on textiles and structural design tught by Professor Shirley Randall, she also has won
three first prizes for her three entries in the recent Sun Prairie Heritage Quilt Show. Now, she's interested in
broadening her reputation so she can open a studio for the creation of quilt-as-art pieces. Those kinds of word
aren't to be confused with quilts-strictly-for-utilitarian-purposes. You know, the kinds your grandmothers made
to keep family members warm in their winter beds. That's not to say there is no utility in Mrs. Blenker's
creations. Take, for example, the quilted jacket she made as a special project in Mrs. Randall's course; or, the
fancy covering for her sister's baby crib; or, her vest jacket. And, her wall hangings serve obvious purposes, too,
as room decorations. But when she faces a problem of construction or stitchery interferes with her choice of a
design, Mrs. Blenker sacrifices on the former. That is one of the major differences that separates traditionalists
from the new breed of practitioners who regard quilting as an art form. In some respects, that is a difference
between work done by Mrs. Blenker and the person who got her interested in quilting, Mrs. Frances Ginochhio of Stevens
Point, who operates a quilt shop. The two women have become close friends because of their mutual interest in
quilts. But Mrs. Ginochhio's products have been more utilitarian and traditional than Mrs. Blenker's. The two
women are, however, being drawn together in their taste and choices of quilted objects to construct. They recently
traveled together to New Mexico to the Enchanted Quilt Fiesta which included programs by some of the leading
contemporary quilt makers. With her interest in design, Mrs. Blenker says she isn't interested in doing commissioning
involving copies of existing quilts or pictures of designs. "I have enough of my own ideas to last me for a long,
long time," she muses. Her ideas include use of various fabrics not traditionally linked to quilt making. Mrs.
Blenker has more things than quilts to keep her busy. She is a non-traditional student who has been pursuing a
home economics major off and on since 1969. The Wisconsin Rapids native also is a housewife with two children,
ages two and four. She and her husband live on the Yellow Brick Road in the Town of Amherst.
*Stevens Point Journal 7/1981
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