. >> this is my jazz quilt about artist deedee bridgewater. i call this one "sisters." now this i call "petroleum world." >> over the past two decades, marion has used an incredible range of mixed media to create not just narrative quilts but also abstract wall hangings, larger than life portraits and grand scale public art commissions. once she has a theme in mind, there's no end to the directions her quilts may take. >> one of the ways of thinking about improvisation within quilting tradition is to say that it's an impulse that's not linked to a formula or a prescription. it doesn't mean that it lacks discipline. it doesn't mean that it lacks no know-how. it's just an impulse towards creativity and wanting to tell the story in an unanticipated way. >> i'll add yarn, shells, probably something that will make some sound. something like buttons or something like that. >> that spontaneous approach is at the heart of textural rhythms at san francisco's museum of the african diaspora. the exhibit curator carolyn mazloomi challenged quilters to riff on another improvisationa