QUILT INDEX RECORD

41-39-32

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Quilts and Health

Who documented this quilt?

Quilts and Health

Quilts and Health Project Number:

QHB-3.24

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

When was the form filled out?

2016

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

My Friend is Bipolar

How wide is the quilt?

43.5"

How long is the quilt?

24.25"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Time period:

2000-2025

When was the quilt finished?

2012

Describe the quilt's layout:

Pictorial

Quilt top made by:

Ceesay, Laurie

Quilted by:

Ceesay, Laurie

Where the quilt was made, city:

Menominee

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

MacDowell, Marsha; Luz, Clare; Donaldson, Beth. Quilts and Health. Indiana University Press, 2017. Page 88.

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's name:

Laurie Ceesay

Quilt owner's city:

Menominee

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Essay:

My significant other has Bipolar Disorder. I made this quilt to explore the characteristics of being bipolar and as the person who lives with and interacts daily with the mood swings of being manic one day/minute and then being depressed the next. I grieve for the fact that people with Bipolar Disorder have a hard time being "normal" and often need medications to balance their moods while taking away another emotion. I learned from the process the personality traits of the disorder and it helps me better understand how to adapt to the personality and mood fluctuations. I used many descriptive words in the quilt background but purposely made the colors blend because it is symbolic of the social stigma of not discussing mental health issues. I over-exaggerated the manic characteristics of over-doing things-the woman's hair, make-up, jewelry and clothing patterns and colors. With the depressed representation I kept the colors greyed, sad and subdued, the jewelry dark, and the clothing non-descript. I added the universal symbol for Bipolar Disorder in the quilt. This quilt helps me understand Bipolar Disorder better. My significant other is male but I changed the person in my quilt to a woman for anonymity.

Who photographed this quilt?

Laurie Ceesay

Access and copyright information:

Restricted