Chaco Canyon: Ancient Community, Modern Quilt

Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico is home to the massive buildings and intricate engineering of the ancestral Pueblo peoples, often called the Anasazi or the Ancient Ones. The intricate construction detail of the community, shown in the photos above and below, is unlike anything seen elsewhere in the American Southwest. It is the country’s most important pre-Columbian cultural and historical area, and the densest collection of pueblo buildings anywhere in the Southwest.

This canyon was important to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D. and is still a place that inspires rich vision and haunting art. It is also the inspiration for Albuquerque designer Jen Fox’s Chaco Canyon quilt in our July/August 2015 issue. You can read more about Jen’s story in this recent article in the Albuquerque Journal.

Jen’s scarf for Uncommon Goods, which started this whole design journey.

We, however, can tell you the backstory. Before designing this quilt, Jen had participated in a scarf design contest with online retailer Uncommon Goods, Our editor-in-chief Melissa Thompson Maher saw (and lusted after) the scarf, She voted for it, then eventually brought one home. And she asked Jen if she’d design a quilt echoing the clean geometric lines that were inspired by this amazing ancient community. Jen said “Yes!” and the result is stunning. (Oh, and Melissa does love wearing this scarf! Pretty soon she’ll have to make the quilt, too!)

Detail of Chaco Canyon. Photo by Erik Fox

Jen, Chaco Canyon and her pup, at home in Jen’s Albuquerque backyard. Photo by Erik Fox

Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.