Page 259 - MyMomHadAQuiltLikeThat

Hmong

The Hmong people of Laos and Vietnam were displaced during the
Pol Pot regime and Vietnam war, and lived in refugee camps before
immigrating to Washington state, among other areas in the U.S. They
began selling distinctive needlework in the Pike Place Public Market
in Seattle. Some involved intricate spiral patterns sewed in reverse
applique’, others were embroidered depictions of events from their
lives or folklore. Thumbing through their quilts in the Market, I
found one table-top sized piece that told a story of a girl who hid
with her family on the roof of a hut while they were stalked by a
tiger. The tiger captured some prey, and the embroidery says “crunch
crunch.” I was amused, but didn’t buy. Later, I regretted that I hadn’t
bought the piece, so I went back and began thumbing through the
pages of a ceiling-high “book” designed for displaying rugs. I went
through both sides of every page until I came to the back side of
the very last page, and this time I bought it. Later, I found a similar
piece with depiction of warring military forces with their automatic
rifles and helicopters. This one is signed with the name of the refugee
camp in Thailand.

LEFT: Hmong from Refugee Camp 1990s. Purchased in the Seattle area 1990s. Overall 31"x32½", picture area
18"x20" Fabric: Embroidered cotton. Batting: None. Backing: Crisp white fabric. Edge: The front is brought
to the back ¼" and caught by hand. Piecing: Machine stitched borders. Quilting: None. Condition: Excellent.
Comment: Hmong people were selling these in the Seattle area in the 1990s. This one is signed "By G E
Xing Thailand." I read in an eBay listing that the pieces were made in a Thailand refugee camp.
Figure 221: Hmong from Refugee Camp