Libertyville’s Ansel Brainerd Cook awards the Women in the Arts Recognition Award
The Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter, NSDAR awarded Jackie Maddock the National DAR Women in the Arts Recognition Award, at their annual awards dinner held at Austin’s.
The DAR Women in the Arts Recognition Award is a national honor presented by local DAR chapters to women for outstanding achievements in nonperformance arts. The award acknowledges women artists who have made significant contributions to their artistic field and to their community. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor a woman who has exhibited excellence in her chosen genre. The American Heritage Committee may present the award, comprising a certificate and lapel pin, to DAR members and nonmembers. The criteria for this award are strict, and not all nominations are successful.
When Maddock became a member of the Ansel Brainerd Cook chapter on Nov. 5, 2016, she quickly rediscovered her passion of fiber arts, and that ultimately became her purpose in life.
In 2016, before she was even a member, she turned her attention to crocheting “plarn” (plastic yarn) sleeping mats for those experiencing homelessness, she quickly purchased a large crochet hook and started saving clean plastic bags. She self-taught herself, made up her own pattern and learned how to crochet 3-foot-by-5-foot plarn sleeping mats. She even single crocheted around the edges to make it “look nice and lay flat” and crocheted a carrying strap. Each plarn sleeping mat took approximately 500-800 bags and at least 33-40 hours to complete. Sustainability wise, she kept approximately 36,000 plastic bags out of the landfill. A total of 45 sleeping mats were distributed from 2016-18 at the Chicago Winter Stand down.
In 2018, someone in the chapter had read online that the American Heart Association had a program, “Little Hats, Big Hearts,” that celebrated American Heart Month (February) by distributing knitted or crocheted red hats to newborns at participating hospitals. The initiative raised awareness of congenital heart defects. She immediately got on board. Several different-sized round looms were purchased along with a lot of red yarn. She self-taught herself how to loom and started making hats. She made over 450 little red hats that were distributed over the years to Hospitals in the Madison, Wisconsin, area.
She then turned her attention to looming adult hats, scarves and neck gaiters. Making up her own pattern for the scarfs and neck gaiters. These were ultimately donated to the Chicago Winter Standdown to be distributed to veterans experiencing homelessness,
Maddock meticulously winds the yarn around each of the loom pegs keeping just the right tension to create these hat/gaiter sets. She matches colors that are eye appealing for the women yet subtle for the men. To date, she has loomed over 1400 hats, scarfs and neck gaiter sets.
She has been crocheting/knitting and sewing for most of her adult life, and made everyone in her family crocheted slippers for Christmas, using her own patterns, colors and techniques. She has even taught family and friends how to crochet and loom. At 93, her preferred way to contribute is with her loom and an endless supply of yarn, difference, while keeping the time-honored tradition of fiber arts alive.
For more information, visit ildar.org/chapters/anselbrainerdcook or email ABC4DAR@gmail.com