The following are a selection of quilts and other handmade artworks that were found in the home and workshop of Sally Snow Eklund in Assonet, Massachusetts. Any family members and friends interested in particular pieces, please drop a line.
Sally Eklund wearing one of her original creations, circa 1980
Born in April 1937, Sarah “Sally“ West grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. In the early 1960s, she and her first husband moved to the southeastern part of the state where they raised three children. An accomplished artist who created hundreds of quilts and original artworks in the textile medium, she was first known as Sally Snow in her professional life.
After remarrying in the 1980s, Sally Eklund continued living and working in New England with her second husband and life companion, relocating to the Caribbean permanently in the 1990s. Throughout her life, she enjoyed spending time with family, reading, cooking, gardening, singing, and playing folk songs on the auto harp. She also was a faithful caretaker of a series of beloved dogs.
As friends and family are scattered across the far ends of the world, an online selection of photos from the life of Sally Eklund has been compiled below in lieu of a formal obituary or service. And in the joyful, celebratory spirit of a New Orleans-style funeral, a favorite song from The Carter Family, featuring “Mother” Maybelle Carter, is included below.
To a full life lead with energy, passion, and, as stated in a final conversation, “without regret.”
A gallery of photos from the life of Sally Eklund, 1937-2015
with fraternal twin George in 1937
parents George and Bernice West in Essex, Massachusetts in 1933
with brother George in 1938
Nancy, George, and Sally in 1939
the West kids, George, Sally, Martha, and Nancy, around 1940 or 1941
parents Bernice and George in the summer of 1941
Martha, Nancy, Sally, and George in the early 1940s
mother Bernice with George, Nancy, Sally, and Martha about 1944
four West kids in the early 1940s: Nancy, Martha, Sally, and George
school picture in 1947
her father, a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox, in the summer of 1949
with sister Martha in the summer of 1949
Sally in 1950
with her sister around 1952
high school in 1953
on ski trip to New Hampshire in 1954
with a a classmate in the mid-1950s
with male friend in class shot from around 1954
with friend Nan around 1954
high school picture from around 1954-1955
with first husband, brother-in-law, and his wife in 1960s
with husband in 1964
shortly after adopting first child in late 1964
with husband, first child, and family Basset Hound in 1965
with daughter, sister-in-law of husband’s older brother and her three children, and older son in mid-1960s
on farm in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts in the mid-1960s
with daughter around 1966
birthday party in 1966
with older son around 1968
with two oldest children in late 1960s
with oldest two children and dog in the late 1960s
with two oldest kids and companion of husband’s youngest brother and her daughters in the early 1970s
family Halloween in the early 1970s
Sally and the children in the early 1970s
Sally with her three children
with daughter in the 1970s
Sally’s three children eating lunch at grandma’s house with her younger sister’s children in the mid 1970s
opening gifts with daughter in the 1970s
with younger son, daughter, husband, and friends in the mid-1970s
family meal around 1977
with youngest two children, mother-in-law and some family pets in the late 1970s
with auto harp at Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass Dartmouth) in the 1980s
with goat on farm in Myricks in the 1980s or so
with oldest child on visit in the mid-1980s
with husband Karl on farm in the 1980s
with husband, youngest two children, and pet goats in the 1980s
in the kitchen sometime around the 1980s
younger son, mother Bernice, daughter, and Sally in the 1980s
with youngest two children, mother-in-law, and family friend in the 1980s
at work around the 1980s or so
Sally in the 1980s
with her sister-in-law Marge in the 1980s or so
with husband around the late 1980s
with three children and mother-in-law in the early 1990s
with Philip, Penny, and family in the Caribbean in the late 1990s
with husband in 2001
in the kitchen in 2006
besides clothing, Sally also made jewelry and various food products
with daughter-in-law in Georgetown in 2006
with daughter-in-law, husband at friend Shirley’s hotel-restaurant in 2006
with daughter-in-law in 2006
with husband and daughter-in-law in 2006
with partner in the 2000s
working in the kitchen in 2008
cooking lessons in 2008
making pizza from scratch in 2008
family with Taiwanese ambassador to St. Vincent in 2008
Taiwanese agricultural mission at Orange Hill, St. Vincent in 2008
with members of the Taiwanese community on St. Vincent plus her daughter-in-law preparing for a Lunar New Year feast in 2008
Emily and Philip in 2008
shopping in St. Vincent in 2008
at the Pirates of the Caribbean set in St. Vincent in 2008
with Ben, Shelia, older son, and daughter-in-law on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean in St. Vincent in 2008
with daughter-in-law in the Caribbean in 2008
with family and friends Ann and Paul in 2008
with daughter-in-law at the beach in 2008
working in her Caribbean garden in 2008
with family on the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines in 2008
with husband, older son, and daughter-in-law in 2008
driving in 2009
with daughter-in-law in island garden in 2010
at a birthday party at the Baldwin residence in the 2010s
with Cheryl in 2013
Baldwin, Sally, and husband in 2013
Ann, Sally, Paul, and Karl in 2013
with family in 2013
Sally in 2013
Kelly, Ceana, and Conroy in 2013
Kelly and Ceana with Samson and Paulie in 2013
with husband, daughter-in-law, and older son in 2014
with daughter-in-law and four-legged friend in May 2014
Click photos above to enlarge images.
Click any image below to view slideshow.
parents George and Bernice West in Essex, Massachusetts in 1933
fraternal twins George and Sally in 1937
with brother George in 1938
Nancy, George, and Sally around 1939
the West kids – George, Sally, Martha, and Nancy
parents Bernice and George in the summer of 1941
four West kids: Martha, Nancy, Sally, and George in the 1940s
mother Bernice with George, Nancy, Sally, and Martha about 1944
four West kids in the early 1940s: Nancy, Martha, Sally, and George
school picture in 1947
her father, a lifelong Red Sox fan, in the summer of 1949
with sister Martha in the summer of 1949
Sally in 1950
Sally Eklund (née West), with her sister, circa 1950
Sally in 1953
on ski trip to New Hampshire in 1954
with a classmate in the mid-1950s
with male friend in class shot from around 1954
with Nan around 1954
high school picture from around 1954-1955
with brother-in-law and wife in 1960s
with first husband in 1964
with Basset Hounds in the 1960s
shortly after adopting first child in late 1964
with husband, first child, and family Basset Hound in 1965
with daughter, sister-in-law of husband’s older brother, and her three children, and older son in mid-1960s
on farm in South Dartmouth, Masachusetts in the mid-1960s
with daughter around 1966
birthday party in 1966
Sally in the mid-1960s
with first child in 1966
with two oldest children in late 1960s
Sally Eklund with her two oldest children and family basset hound, circa 1968
with two oldest kids and companion of husband’s younger brother and her daughters in the early 1970s
Sally and the children in the early 1970s
Sally with her three children
with daughter in the 1970s
Sally’s three children eating lunch at grandma’s house with her younger sister’s children in the mid 1970s
opening gifts with daughter in the 1970s
with younger son, daughter, husband, and friends in the mid-1970s
family meal around 1977
with youngest two children, mother-in-law and some family pets in the late 1970s
with auto harp at Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass Dartmouth) in the 1980s
Sally Eklund wearing one of her original creations, circa 1980
with goat on farm in Myricks in the 1980s or so
with oldest child in the mid-1980s
with husband in 1980s
with husband, youngest two children, and pet goats in the 1980s
in the kitchen sometime around the 1980s
younger son, mother Bernice, daughter, and Sally in the 1980s
with youngest two children, mother-in-law, and family friend in the 1980s
Sally at work
Sally in the 1970s or 1980s
a quilting class
with her sister-in-law Marge
with husband in the 1990s
with three children and mother-in-law in the early 1990s
with dear friends Philip, Penny, and family in the Caribbean around the late 1990s
with husband in 2001
in the kitchen in 2006
jewelry Sally sold in Caribbean gift shop
with daughter-in-law in Georgetown in 2006
with daughter-in-law in 2006
with daughter-in-law, husband at friend Shirley’s hotel-restaurant in 2006
Sally Eklund with her husband and daughter-in-law in 2006
with husband in the 2000s
working in the kitchen in 2008
cooking lessons in 2008
making pizza from scratch in 2008
making pizza from scratch
family with Taiwanese ambassador to St. Vincent in 2008
Taiwanese agricultural mission at Orange Hill, St. Vincent in 2008
at Taiwanese agricultural mission at Orange Hill, St. Vincent in 2008
with members of the Taiwanese community on St. Vincent plus her daughter-in-law preparing for a Lunar New Year feast in 2008
Emily and Philip in 2008
shopping in St. Vincent in 2008
at the Pirates of the Caribbean set in St. Vincent in 2008
with Ben, Shelia, older son, and daughter-in-law on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean in St. Vincent in 2008
with daughter-in-law in the Caribbean in 2008
with family and friends Ann and Paul in 2008
with daughter-in-law at the beach in 2008
working in her Caribbean garden in 2008
with family on the Tobago Cays in the Grenadines in 2008
with husband, older son, and daughter-in-law in 2008
driving in 2009
with daughter-in-law in island garden in 2010
at a birthday party at the Baldwin residence in the 2010s
with husband and friend Cheryl in 2013
with husband and friend Baldwin in 2013
with husband and friends Ann and Paul in 2013
Sally Eklund with her oldest son and husband in 2013
Sally in 2013
Kelly, Ceana, and Conroy in 2013
Kelly and Ceana with Samson and Paulie in 2013
with husband, daughter-in-law, and older son in 2014
One year in the late-1970s, Sally Eklund was shuttling back and forth between her residence near Boston and a series of meetings held at a local university in southeastern Massachusetts. This particular year the colors of the late October-early November foliage lining Route 140, the New England highway she used each way, were so brilliant and evocative that Eklund was inspired to create an original quilt entitled “Indian Summer.”*
“Indian Summer,” a quilt by Sally Eklund
The Eisteddfod
The meetings were follow-up discussions concerning a music and crafts show, the Eisteddfod, held at UMass Dartmouth (then known as Southeastern Massachusetts University) each October between 1972 and 1996. Eklund and her husband Karl were actively involved, she selling hand-crafted quilts, clothing, and food items (as well as heading a crafts committee that year) and he as a musical performer at a festival that drew traditional musicians from across the country and around the world.
Procion Dyes
Coincidently, that summer Sally Eklund had been experimenting with Procion dye, a type of cold reactive dye chosen because it does not use the same harsh chemicals and heavy metals typically employed by alternatives. This makes it is easier to use at home than other dyes (in addition to being more environmentally friendly). Procion dyes are also known for retaining their color and are unique because they work best with natural fibers like cotton, wool, and silk.
As part of the artistic process, Eklund dyed pieces of fabric, some solids and some irregulars. This allowed her to create a variety of colors using a number of different techniques. She explained:
“this enables you to work with the shapes and the colors, to see how they play against each other. For example, you place red next to green and yellow and the look is completely transformed if the same color is adjacent to blue and orange.”
Please note, since the last post, approximately 30 new quilts have been added to the galleries located in the upper left-hand corner, as well as one new category, Clothing and Accessories.
*For those unfamiliar with the term “Indian summer,” its etymology is disputed and the meaning can vary depending on location in the world or even within the United States. For a resident of New England, the term is generally agreed to refer to a period of unexpected warm, dry weather that occurs around late-September to the middle of November.
Welcome to Sally’s Quilts, a website for sharing a selection of the quilted artwork of Sally Eklund, a quilter and textile artist who has been creating original works of textile-based art in New England and the Caribbean for more than 40 years.
“Myth,” a quilt by Sally Eklund
Sally Eklund’s quilted creations are organized in six non-exclusive categories: Animals, Geometric, Man-made, Nature, Plants, and Clothing & Accessories. One example of each is found in today’s post, as well as in the individual photo galleries arranged by subject in the upper left-hand corner of the browser page.
“Blueberry,” a quilt by Sally Eklund
A Place To Be Inspired
This site is a place where quilters and textile artists can come for ideas and examples. The artist, who went by Sally Snow and Sally-Snow Eklund earlier in her professional career, used a variety of materials, techniques, and inspirations over the course of producing hundreds of original textile creations from the 1970s to the 2010s.
Asian-Caribbean fish applique with Batik border by Sally Eklund
How To Start: What Are the Typical Steps Needed To Create a Quilt or Article of Clothing?
The process of creating a quilt or any type of quilted garment or bag often includes: selecting or creating a pattern, selecting and/or dyeing the fabric, and then, depending on the type of quilt, either sewing the individual panels, which are then stitched together to create the quilt, or directly sewing the quilt or quilted piece of clothing (e.g. jacket, vest, or skirt).
vests with flower design created by Sally Eklund
Many first-time quilters find attending a group class is a good place to start, both for learning new skills and for developing friendships and useful contacts in the greater quilting community. The latter is especially helpful for sourcing the necessary materials and equipment at the best prices available.
a quilting class conducted by Sally Eklund
Alternatively, these days many excellent DIY and how-to publications including magazines, books, and online resources can help to get a newbie pointed in the right direction. A quick search on the Web will yield plenty of results. A modern-day book of patterns (which often include ample color pictures, detailed step-by-step instructions, and sometimes even the patterns on CD or at an associated website–one example is the 2012 publication from Moya’s Workshop, Purses, Bags & Totes) will launch a budding quilter on the right track.
a selection of popular How-To books at a quilting show in Santa Clara in October 2013
And here’s one more piece done in recent years dedicated to the Scandinavian heritage of Eklund’s husband.
A Norse-themed quilt drawing inspiration from family history by Sally Eklund
sally's quilts 