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Quilts Add the Home TouchWildflower, The Hill Country SpaThe love of quilts usually splits people into two camps. Those who feel quilts are oh-so-comfy pieces of historical art that exist to hang on walls, delicately cover guest beds or store in boxes for future generations. To others, like quilting queen and San Antonian Patti Centeno, quilts should be used every day in every place. In the last 20 years, Centeno has designed and crafted more than 200 one-of-a-kind, handmade, usable quilts. And this year, she’ll make 22 more as part of a commission by the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort for use as treatment table coverings in the resort’s newly-opened Windflower, The Hill Country Spa. Each lap-throw quilt for Windflower takes more than 30 hours to complete and features a Texas Hill Country theme, in keeping with the ambiance and architecture of the spa. The first series of six quilts, completed in Centeno’s version of the modern quilting bee, includes "Springflower," a patchwork quilt with a floral pattern; "Log Cabin," a strip-pieced quilt built around a center square; "Bow-Tie," a masculine antique pattern; "Churn Dash," a variation on the nine-patch quilt; "Friendship Star," a variation on the traditional star pattern; and "Bear Claw," another masculine quilt featuring a block-style interpretation of a bear’s claw. Each traditional quilt manages to be both tranquil and full of energy, with dynamic colors and rich texture. Creating a calm, peaceful atmosphere and a feeling of inviting warmth is essential to Centeno’s designs for the spa. "We wanted both feminine and masculine quilts that have an old-fashioned country feel," says Centeno. Two more series of quilts will be completed this year. Until they are finished, spa clients will be able to enjoy Centeno’s personal collection of antique quilts on loan to Windflower. A native of San Antonio, Centeno taught school for 23 years and now works full-time for an educational testing company. Quilting is her hobby, accomplished in carved-out minutes at ball games, before bedtime and while waiting at stop lights. Her love for the art began after she found a quilt in her grandmother’s attic. "I remembered sleeping under the quilt as a child. It was a tie to my past, and it wasn’t long before I began collecting, studying and crafting myself," says the mostly self-taught Centeno. Her work for the Hyatt started ten years ago, when, as president of the Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild, she was contacted to help develop names for the rooms and quilts for the beds in the resort’s five VIP suites. Since then, she’s been known as the "Quilt Lady." Each quilt she creates is a personalized expression of the individual who receives the quilt or the location in which the quilt will be used. "It’s like picking a greeting card," she says. "You pick a pattern that matches the personality of the person or room." Centeno uses a variety of colorful and textured fabrics, with the pattern of the material dictating how the quilt develops. "It can be as scrappy or as coordinated as it needs to be. Right now, I’m experimenting with a new technique using snippets of fabric fused into place like a mosaic," she says. Recent national surveys show that almost 14 million Americans today are involved in the creation of quilted textiles. It’s an art that goes back at least to the ancient Egyptians, according to the International Quilt Study Center. Beginning in the late 1700s, Americans quilted to provide warmth for their families, as a way of artistic expression and to record history and family activities. In the late 19th century, quilts gave American women a voice in political and social issues. Quilting took place in homes, churches and at quilting bees, giving women important opportunities to visit and socialize at a time when such activities were limited. They built a sense of sisterhood as quilts began to take shape. The first series of six quilts for Windflower were handcrafted by a community of six women, all parents of Centeno’s former students. Twice a month, they got together to quilt, learning from each other and sharing family news, recipes and events of the day. These functional quilt treasures not only reflect a cultural tradition, but celebrate the beauty and creativity of days gone by. They are an integral part of what makes the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa unique. Not the sleek, metallic lines of today’s modern spa, Windflower offers the environment of an old, Hill Country farmhouse… rambling, warm and cozy. Just like the quilts that greet the guests. Windflower, The Hill Country
Spa Edited by Dave Shultz |
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