SPOLIA COLLECTION

THE SPOLIA COLLECTION is inspired by the remains of a 13th-century castle wall on the Greek island of Paros, euclidean geometry, the neutral tones of marble and rich colors of grecian life, and the process of translating, distilling and repurposing.

INSPIRATION

The Spolia Collection was born from the remains of a Frankish castle on the Greek island of Paros, and what began as a single quilt has evolved over the past year into a cohesive collection of 5 designs, 17 pieces total.

The castle was built in the 1200s out of cut marble taken from ancient temples across the island and the remains represent an example of “spolia,” a Latin word now used to refer to stones being taken from one building and repurposed into another. The collection follows a similar path, with designs reflecting a more literal interpretation of the castle’s remains, designs which explore the geometric shapes within the walls via Greek mathematician Euclid, and finally designs which use those shapes to build something new.

The color palette of the collection reflects both the ancient world and a modern experience of Greece, containing the neutral tones of marble, shades of blue echoing the vast seas, the rich hues of Homer’s wine-dark sea, the bold pink of bougainvillea found across the island, and gold tones of honey and chickpeas.

“Creating the Spolia Collection was an act of listening, sensing, questioning, and observing, an effort to fully inhabit a place and experience, braiding together different strands of artistry and time, stitching together the past and present, all in an effort to create beautiful, useful objects that will create their own story in your home.”

— Mary Hill, designer and production quilter

MEET THE DESIGNER

Mary learned how to sew 10 years ago while earning her MFA in Creative Writing and Poetry at Colorado State University. What started as a desire to make something with her hands between the many hours of reading and writing ultimately became her primary creative practice, but her experience in graduate school still informs her approach and commitment to making, whether text or textile, stitch or song.

Mary has worked for Vacilando Studios as a Production Quilter for the past four years and considers it a true dream job – she has appreciated the opportunity to not only learn new skills and continuously elevate her craftsmanship but also experiment and develop as an artist through making pieces for scrap collections.

When not working in the studio, you can find Mary tending to her backyard vegetable garden, cooking creative vegan meals, or hiking and bird watching in the woods and along the shores of Minnesota’s many lakes.