Margaret Wood (fashion designer) facts for kids

Margaret Wood was born in 1950. She is a talented artist who creates amazing things with fabric. She is a Navajo and Seminole fiber artist, which means she works with textiles. She is also a fashion designer and a quilt maker.

Even though she started her career as a teacher and librarian, Margaret Wood changed to fiber arts. This allowed her to show her creative side. She wrote a very important book called Native American Fashion: Modern Adaptations of Traditional Designs. For over 40 years, this book was the only one that focused on how traditional Native American clothing was changed into modern styles.

Since 1990, Margaret Wood has mostly focused on making quilts. Her beautiful quilts have been shown in many exhibitions across the United States. You could see her work at famous places like the American Craft Museum in New York and the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Wood was born in 1950 in Parker, Arizona. Her mother, Helen Mae, was Navajo. Her father, Charlie Wood, was Oklahoma Seminole. Her mother grew up on the Navajo Nation and became a teacher. Her father was a carpenter from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.

Margaret learned to sew from her mother when she was about nine years old. After finishing high school, she went to Arizona State University. She received a full scholarship from the Navajo Nation. In 1971, she earned a bachelor's degree in education. She then got a master's degree in library science from the University of Denver in 1973.

Margaret Wood's Career Journey

Margaret Wood started her career as a teacher right after college. After one year, she went back to school for her master's degree. In 1973, she earned her master's in library science. Her master's paper was about library services for Navajo people. That same year, she became the librarian at Navajo Community College. She also worked at the Phoenix Public Library for two years.

Writing Her Important Book

After working as a librarian, Margaret Wood started writing her book. It was called Native American Fashion: Modern Adaptations of Traditional Designs. Her book shared information about traditional Native American clothes. It also showed how these styles could be updated for modern fashion. The book included photos of old designs and drawings of new ones.

The book was organized by different geographic regions. It showed a wide variety of styles. Margaret also explored how modern fashion could celebrate Native American pride.

Becoming a Fiber Artist

In 1978, after five years as a librarian, Margaret Wood decided to change her career. She wanted to focus on fiber arts and find a publisher for her book. When her son was born in 1979, she decided to stay home and began sewing.

Her book, Native American Fashion, was finally published in 1981. For over four decades, it was the only book focused on modern Native American fashion. In the same year, she started her company, Native American Fashions, Inc. For the next ten years, she focused on fashion design. She took part in many fashion shows and exhibitions to show her work.

Focusing on Quilting

In 1984, Margaret Wood attended the Annual Heard show. She wasn't very impressed by the quilts there. This inspired her to try designing one herself. She entered her first quilt in the 1985 show and received an honorable mention.

She began to study quilt making in depth. She learned about different fabrics and techniques. These included applique, mola, and trapunto. Until 1990, Margaret thought of herself as a fashion designer who also quilted. But that year, she decided to focus mainly on quilting. She found that quilting gave her more freedom to express her creativity.

Margaret Wood's Quilt Designs

Margaret Wood often creates her quilts in a series. Her first designs used geometric patterns. These patterns were often found in basketry, beadwork, and Navajo weaving. Later, she started to tell more personal stories through her quilts.

Some of her quilts showed the challenges Native Americans faced living in two cultures. She also made quilts that told stories about her family members. For example, the quilts she designed for her father and mother used maze designs. They also included different symbols to show important moments in their lives. Some of her groups of work, like The Bag Series, are more like fabric sculptures. This series showed different types of containers used by Native Americans. It featured bags of many sizes.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Margaret Wood's artwork has been shown in many museums. She has been invited to display her work in important exhibitions. These include:

• Expressions of Spirit: Contemporary American Indian Art at the Wheelwright (1995)
• Native American Quilts from the Southwest: Tradition, Creativity, and Inspiration at the Institute of American Indian Arts (1998–1999)
• Changing Hands: Art without Reservation at the American Craft Museum (2002)
• Native Quilters of the Southwest at the Navajo Nation Museum (2005)
• Quilt Stories at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (2008–2009)

Her work continues to inspire many people.