Jess Bailey is an art historian, a collector of stories, and a quilter. You may know Jess from Instagram @publiclibraryquilts or their book, Many Hands Make a Quilt: Short Histories of Radical Quilting.

The conversation we had was tender and joyful as we discussed:

① why representation and visibility are so important in the quilting community,

② the power of a gifted quilts, and

③ how to start a quilting practice even if you come from a long a line of quilters.

HELPFUL LINKS ♡

⤷ historic New Deal quilting bee photos

⤷ Anna's mother Ruth Higham's book, The Edge of the Land

⤷ The quilt made by the last indigenous queen of Hawaii

⤷ Get a copy of Jess’s book Many Hands Make A Quilt: Short Histories of Radical Quilting in the US and in the UK

⤷ Listen to the oral history interview from the Quilt Alliance that Jess mentions

⤷ work by Kailani Polzak, researcher of visual constructions of race in 18th and 19th century Europe

⤷ Join me and Heidi Parkes for Sewing in Place at Madeline Island School of the Arts this June

⤷ Learn more about the inner work of textiles in a supportive creative community, THE QUILTY NOOK

⤷ Theme music: Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops