Issue 36 | Alaska
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Alaska is known as The Last Frontier for good reason. It’s more than twice the size of Texas, with landscapes that stretch from temperate rainforests to icy tundra. Towering mountains dominate the horizon, their snow-capped summits meeting the clouds. Seventeen of the 20 tallest peaks in the United States—including Denali, aka The Great One—call this land home. Rivers wind through deep valleys, glaciers glint in the sunlight, and vast forests fill with wind and wildlife, each corner offering its own breathtaking view.
Water shapes this place, too. With more than 33,000 miles of shoreline, Alaska’s coasts touch the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bering Sea. Along those shores and across the forests and tundra, wildlife thrives—Kodiak bears, bald eagles, and puffins with their colorful beaks are just a few of the unforgettable residents.
And then, there are the people. Alaska is home to 228 federally recognized tribes and to countless adventurers who carve out lives in remote communities. Like the state itself, Alaskans are resilient, resourceful, and endlessly creative.
That spirit shows up in their quilting. Each quilt, like each community, tells a story of tradition, imagination, and a deep connection to the land. As you turn these pages, we invite you to explore Alaska’s patchwork of people, places, and artistry—stitched together into something unforgettable.
Writers: Rebecca Bratburd, Mel Burke, Meg Cox, Teresa Duryea Wong, Courtney Mabeus-Brown, Christopher Michel, Diane L. Murtha, Frances O’Roark Dowell, Sharbreon Plummer, and Carmen Schell.
Guest Writer: Angela Łot’oydaatlno Gonzalez
Photographer: Azuree Holloway
Photo Stylist: Trevor Holloway
Guest Photographer: Jayme Houston Photography
Previews From Issue 36
Amy Meissner
Amy Meissner is an accomplished quilt and fiber artist whose life and work is deeply in sync with the rhythms of Alaska’s short, sunny summers and long, dark winters. She works entirely by hand, and all of her material comes from found and discarded items. We caught up with her in her Anchorage home where we could see her art, but also learn more about something she is very passionate about: mending.
Cruising for the Iditarod
Jon Van Zyle and Barbara Carpenter are two friends who’ve combined their talents to support Alaska’s famed Iditarod race and the junior mushers who compete in the Junior Iditarod. Jon is an accomplished painter who designs iconic naturescapes that have been turned into quilting fabric. Barbara is a quilter with a day job who’s made dozens of quilts and bags with Jon’s fabric. That day job—as a cruise organizer—has enabled the two of them to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the race.
Delma Edwards
After Delma Edwards retired from the Air Force, she never imagined quilting would become both her therapy and her purpose. What began with a beginner’s class and a $100 sewing machine has grown into a full-fledged passion, filling her Eagle River home studio and leading to a booth at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. There, she not only sells Alaskan-themed quilts and handmade goods but also teaches free sewing classes to military families. For Delma, quilting is more than craft—it’s a way to heal, to give back, and to keep serving.
Dynasti Otis
Dynasti Otis is willing to try almost anything when it comes to quilting. She has paved her path in the quilting world with her adventurous spirit, as well as the help of her family, both of which have led her to making art quilts and quilt-inspired patchwork and even offering custom quilts through her online shop, Craft Utilitarian Essentials.
Eleanor Yatlin
Eleanor Yatlin of Huslia, Alaska, is a Koyukon Athabascan culture bearer whose artistry in quilting, beading, and sewing reflects more than 70 years of practice and tradition. From her first sampler quilt in the early 1990s to intricate creations tailored for her grandchildren, her work tells stories of family, culture, and nature. Inspired by the land, her community, and her late mother’s gift for color, Eleanor’s quilts embody both heritage and creativity, carrying forward generations of knowledge and care. Even as life’s challenges slow her pace, she continues to stitch pieces of love and tradition into every quilt she makes.
Far North Quilt Trail Project
In the heart of Alaska, painted quilt blocks are popping up in the most unexpected places. Somer Hahm’s Far North Quilt Trail connects neighbors and landscapes, one bold square at a time. What began with a 25-cent garage sale find is now a full-color movement across The Last Frontier.
George Gianokopoulos
Artist and musician George Gianokopoulos never expected to become a quilter—until a bin of worn work pants and a book on Gee’s Bend inspired him to try. George stitched his first quilt entirely from denim, launching a creative quilting journey that rivals his painting. Today, he combines his passions for music and fabric, using donated and thrifted materials to create quilts that reflect both artistry and the spirit of Alaska.
Hannah Parks
From her Kenai sewing room where solstice light stretches through endless summer days, Hannah Parks creates bold improv quilts that counter the peninsula’s darkest winter months with bursts of citron, cobalt, and pink. Known on Instagram as Half Square Hannah, this former academic librarian found her quilting community through a screen when geographic isolation made traditional guilds impossible. She’s known for her improv quilts, hand quilting, viral selvage letter name tags, and partnerships with Aurifil and the Modern Quilt Guild.
Jodie Buck
In an Alaskan town accessible only by boat or float plane, Jodie Buck has built RainTree Quilting into a vibrant hub of creativity and community. A lifelong teacher and quilter, she blends her passion for hands-on learning with a deep commitment to accessibility. She’s passionate about finding tools and techniques that enable quilters with fibromyalgia, spine problems, and other conditions to continue their craft. From her studio overlooking the water, Jodie draws inspiration from her surroundings—turning gray winters and coastal wildlife into patterns filled with color, resilience, and joy. Her story is one of perseverance, adaptation, and the belief that learning (and quilting) should always be fun.
Kachemak Bay Quilters
In the coastal town of Homer, the Kachemak Bay Quilters have been gathering every Thursday for nearly four decades, stitching not just quilts but a deep sense of community. What began with four women and a dollar each to cover the electric bill has grown into a lively group of more than two dozen members, ages 25 to 90. Their quilts are everywhere—hanging in museums, comforting children, honoring veterans, and brightening hospital walls—yet the heart of the group lies in the laughter, support, and friendship they share. Even in a town where the nearest quilt shop is 80 miles away, these quilters prove that creativity and connection can thrive in the most remote places.
Maret Anderson, Enjoli Strait, and Angelyn Starr
Maret Anderson and her identical twin daughters, Enjoli Strait and Angelyn Starr, love Alaska, quilting, and each other. All three are in the quilting business and are fantastically gifted, each in her own artistic way. Their combined talents include creating bags, wallets, and lingerie; longarm quilting; fabric design; and stylizing Native Alaskan outerwear. This family is stitched tightly together with love, with quilting and the industry woven into their relationship.
Maria Shell
If not for a stint as a cocktail waitress on a Missouri River casino boat, Maria Shell might never have become a quilter. A move to Alaska and a long winter led her to a quilting class in Valdez—and to a life-changing career in fiber art. From traditional roots to bold improvisation, Maria has carved out a path as a teacher, author, and community quiltmaker. Now, with her sons grown, she’s dreaming big once again—this time, with an eye toward sharing the magic of Alaska through quilting retreats.
Nikki Corbett
Nikki Corbett is an Alaska Native maker and teacher with an unusual audience. First, she teaches in person all over the state, often traveling hours and hours on planes, boats, and four-wheel drive vehicles to reach remote communities. Other times, she just hits the video button on her smartphone and reaches folks all over the world who tune in to her social media to learn how to make qaspeqs, or maybe even a nasqurrun.
Ree Nancarrow
A woman of many artistic talents, Ree Nancarrow lived in a cabin on the east side of Denali National Park for many years, where she cross country skied out her front door and watched caribou at the tundra pond. She has seen many things shift over the last 60 years, especially regarding climate change. While her art has expanded and altered over time, too, it currently reflects the natural world and social-ecological themes.
Look for the following articles on the Quiltfolk Journal!
The Blissful Bobbin
The Blissful Bobbin is the home-based studio and shop of longarm quilter Stephanie Conner. From salmon to polar bears, The Blissful Bobbin is the place to go for supplies that capture the essence of Alaskan life. Having completed her first year as a business owner, Stephanie has high hopes for how The Blissful Bobbin can continue to grow as a resource for local quilters across generations.
Available in the Journal in October!
Northern Threads Shop Hop
Alaska’s Shop Hop is anything but ordinary—after all, “hopping” in Alaska often means leaping across vast distances, flying into Juneau, or committing to a five-hour drive between quilt shops. Fourteen stores across the state participated in the 2025 hop, each contributing a wildlife-inspired block designed by Marie Noah of Northern Threads. Together, the blocks formed The Last Frontier quilt, featuring puffins, polar bears, orcas, and more. Whether quilters travel the roads of Alaska, fly between towns, or order from home, this hop captures the state’s wild spirit in every stitch.
Available in the Journal in the October!
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