The use of historical quilt patterns echoes the craft of women’s work, generational relationships, and the collective nature of the quilt circle.

I associate quilts with maternal comfort, female community, traditions + patterns, economy of resources, mosaic memories, utility, form and function, warmth, and creating something beautifully intricate from scraps and discards. Quilts have a long history of engaging with social and political landscapes, while simultaneously being a protective covering and a symbol of the safety of home.

These paper quilts feature a variety of gathered materials and ephemera: newspaper clippings, my children’s artwork, block prints, scripture, cyanotype, maps, photographs, and literal blood, sweat, and tears. They are assembled and sewn individually by hand on a vintage sewing machine. ✦