Issue 35 | Virginia

Available July 1

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In Virginia, you don’t have to choose between past and present, coast and mountains, or quiet countryside and vibrant city streets. This is a place where contrasts come together beautifully—and where there’s always something new to discover around the next bend. Whatever draws you in, Virginia has a way of making you fall for all of it.

For the history lover, Virginia offers an unmatched stage. Travel through the state, and you’ll encounter living history in every direction. Walk the grounds of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English settlement, or stand where the nation’s destiny shifted during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Battlefields and colonial homesteads stand side by side with bustling farmers markets and cutting-edge art galleries.

For the mountain lover, Virginia is a wonderland of peaks and paths. The state claims the most miles of the Appalachian Trail, winding through misted valleys and over the rugged beauty of the Blue Ridge. Hike to the summit of Mount Rogers, Virginia’s highest point, or simply take in the scenery along Skyline Drive, where every bend in the road reveals a new postcard-worthy view.

And for the art lover, Virginia is alive with creativity. From the vibrant street murals of Richmond to the curated halls of the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, artistry flourishes here. Even the landscapes seem to take part—whether it’s the architectural wonder of the Natural Bridge or the sweeping coastal horizons that have inspired generations of painters, poets, and makers alike.

Because Virginia isn’t just a place for history buffs and hikers—it’s a place for those who love craft, tradition, and the art of making something by hand. Quilting has deep roots in this land, just like the people who call it home. In every corner of the state, you’ll find quilters carrying on time-honored practices while stitching new chapters of their own.

So no matter what kind of lover you are—of stories, of landscapes, or of beautiful, handmade things—Virginia has something to offer. And in the hands of its quilters, love becomes something tangible: carefully cut, pieced together, and stitched to last for generations.

Writers: Rebecca Bratburd, Mel Burke, Meg Cox, Frances O’Roark Dowell, Courtney Mabeus-Brown, Diane L. Murtha, Sharbreon Plummer, Carmen Schell, and Teresa Duryea Wong

Photographer: Azuree Holloway

Photo Stylist: Trevor Holloway

Previews From Issue 35

All Things New

Founded in January 2024 by Charity New and joined by veteran repair specialist Molly McCay, All Things New has quickly become Richmond’s haven for sewing machine repair and education. Their philosophy? Every machine deserves care, regardless of price point, and every person deserves a creative space, particularly those who’ve felt excluded elsewhere. From treadle machine classes to partnerships with local nonprofits, these two entrepreneurs are stitching together a community that extends far beyond Virginia’s borders.

Annabel Lowe Wrigley

From her vibrant Richmond studio, Australian-born Annabel Lowe Wrigley transforms traditional quilt patterns into modern masterpieces through her fearless use of color. Her bestselling Picnic in the Park pattern, inspired by a treasured vintage Log Cabin quilt, launched a creative journey that includes fabric collections for Windham Fabrics and collaborations with quilters Heather Ross and Tara Faughnan. With an intuitive, plan-free approach to her art, Annabel creates quilts that radiate joy while encouraging others to trust their instincts.

Candy Parker

Candy Parker’s journey from making “fun and funky 1970s clothes” to creating powerful statements through quilts reflects her deep connection to Black quilting traditions. Her Fade to Black quilt, inspired by Jessie Bell Williams Telfair’s historic Freedom quilts, uses an ombre effect to represent eroding freedoms and earned recognition at the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia. As the Modern Quilt Guild’s president, she brings both artistic vision and nonprofit leadership experience to the quilting community.

Chawne Kimber

Chawne Kimber’s quilts speak volumes. Known for powerful, text-based works that confront racism and grief, Chawne balances her bold, artistic voice with a quiet, contemplative demeanor and a demanding academic career. Despite packed days as a college dean, she carves out time to stitch, often late at night or in weekend marathons. For Chawne, quilting is more than expression—it’s survival, self-care, and forward motion.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a must-see for quilt lovers. The art museums always have quilts and coverlets on view, but outside those doors, there is an entire city of historic homes and buildings, many of which date to the 1700s. Each week, several dedicated Virginia quilters volunteer to carefully hand stitch modern reproductions of antique quilts, so they can be safely displayed on the beds for visitors to admire.

Erin Gorgan

Erin Grogan’s quilt patterns are a throwback to the retro styles of the 1960s and 1970s, featuring bright colors and swooping curves. Though she grew up sewing garments with her grandmother, Erin didn’t start quilting until her GPS brought her to a modern quilt shop while she was scouting for fabric to sew matching outfits for herself and her daughter. She was instantly dazzled and, within a couple of years, had sewn more than 80 quilts. In 2020, she launched Love, Sew, Modern, her quilt pattern business, and she teaches around the country.

Geraldine Wilkins

After a Pulitzer Prize-winning career in photojournalism, Geraldine Wilkins found a new calling through quilting—one that began in a church basement with an old blue Singer. Now an acclaimed quilt educator, designer, and founder of Living Water Quilter, Geraldine shares her love of bold color, free motion quilting, and faith with students across the country and online. Her work is deeply personal, rooted in both her spiritual beliefs and her desire to uplift other women. Whether teaching with rulers or crafting silhouette quilts in honor of her sister, Geraldine’s passion continues to evolve—always with purpose.

Jinny Beyer

Quiltmakers today have a plethora of specially designed fabrics to choose from, and they have Jinny Beyer to thank for that. She’s widely credited as the first quilt artist to design a line of cotton fabrics exclusively for the independent quilt shop. She spent 40 years as a fabric designer and is also a highly skilled quilter, having mastered tessellations and other complicated pieced designs. Now in semi-retirement, Jinny is still making complex quilts and is also spending time in her custom-designed, quilt-block-inspired garden.

Kyra E. Hicks

Kyra E. Hicks is a self-described history detective. She keeps digging and digging until she uncovers something others had overlooked—including facts about one of America’s most famous quilters, Harriet Powers. This intrepid author is also a quiltmaker, and her clever story quilts exude her warm personality and her life as a Black woman.

Mary Kerr

The granddaughter of Kansas quiltmakers, Mary Kerr inherited a lifelong passion for vintage fabrics, along with a whole lot of yardage, orphaned blocks, and unfinished quilts. When she began designing quilts of her own, she looked for ways to incorporate these textiles into her work. But when she wanted to branch out even further and blend vintage and modern, she was told she couldn’t do it—and she did it anyway. She brings this same sense of play into her teaching, encouraging her students to keep the quilt police far away from their projects.

Pat Sloan

Pat Sloan is a pioneering figure in the quilting world. After leaving a 20-year career in software engineering, she launched a quilting business that now spans books, fabric lines, thread collections, YouTube videos, and a global online community of over 440,000 quilters. An early adopter of modern technology, she helped bring quilting into the digital age through one of the first quilting podcasts and a strong social media presence. Her work centers on community, creativity, and connection—with quilt-alongs, themed projects, and lighthearted traditions like mushroom gifts from fans. Through it all, Pat’s joyful spirit and entrepreneurial drive have helped shape the modern quilting landscape.

The Patawomeck Quilters

In Stafford County, quilting became the unlikely foundation for a cultural revival. What began in the 1990s as a grassroots fundraiser has grown into the Patawomeck Quilters—a close-knit group of tribal women dedicated to preserving heritage, supporting education, and strengthening community ties. With every stitch, they honor their grandmothers’ legacies and help sustain their tribe’s future. Today, their work continues at the Patawomeck Tribal Center, where quilting is just one part of a vibrant and intergenerational cultural hub.

Sisters of the Yam

Sisters of the Yam African American Quilters Guild of Richmond created their unique name from the book Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by her pen name, bell hooks. They had all been through some kind of tragedy and believed fabric was their healing medium. All the Sisters of the Yam are experienced quilters, passionate about the craft. Some are very traditional and others more modern, but commonly, they focus on history and healing.

Virginia Quilt Museum

When Alicia Thomas stepped into her role as director of the Virginia Quilt Museum (VQM), she didn’t expect to be wrestling a 30-pound quilt on day one—but that hands-on moment set the tone for her bold and resilient leadership. In the face of a major facilities crisis, Alicia spearheaded the museum’s 2024 move to a new, historic location in Dayton—trading a failing HVAC system for lakeside charm, better accessibility, and growing community engagement. With the help of devoted volunteers and quilt historians like Bunnie Jordan, the VQM continues to preserve and share the state’s textile legacy, including plans for a major exhibition honoring Virginia’s role in the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Look for the following articles on the Quiltfolk Journal!

Eva Saunders

Eva Saunders, the creative force behind Gingerly Quilt Co, traces her sewing roots back to summers spent in her grandmother’s sewing room. After rediscovering quilting during the early days of the pandemic, Eva began designing playful and painterly quilts—from an Exploding Pizza to fabric tributes to Monet’s Water Lilies. Now blending her background in design, film, and teaching, she’s launched a self-paced course to help others unlock their own artistic voices. For Eva, quilting is as much about self-expression as it is about stitches.