Issue 37 | Delaware
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Every quilt begins with a first stitch. For our nation, that beginning was Delaware, The First State. Delaware is a place where life feels closely knit, with only three counties— the fewest of any state. In New Castle County, the northernmost, you’ll find a lively mix of historic towns and modern energy: cobblestone streets where the past still speaks, balanced with a bustling city center in Wilmington. In Kent County, farmland stretches toward the horizon, and Dover stands as both the capital and a keeper of tradition. To the south, affectionately called The Slower Lower, Sussex County unfolds in wide open fields, quiet waterways, and coastal towns where the pace turns leisurely and community thrives.
Together, these three counties form a state that may be small in size but is expansive in spirit. In Delaware, the past and present are carefully preserved. It’s a place that reminds us that small beginnings can carry enormous meaning, much like the smallest scrap of fabric can become the heart of a quilt.
Writers: Rebecca Bratburd, Mel Burke, Meg Cox, Courtney Mabeus-Brown, Christopher Michel, Diane L. Murtha, Sharbreon Plummer, and Teresa Duryea Wong
Photographer: Azuree Holloway
Photo Stylist: Trevor Holloway
Previews From Issue 37
Adrienne Daniels
Adrienne Daniels is an avid sailor who loves sailing the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. But when she’s back in her Middletown home, she likes making original quilts or taking bits and pieces of something learned in a class, or even part of a pattern, and mixing those elements together with her own ideas.
Brenda Holbrook
Brenda Holbrook got hooked on picture quilts after her daughter-in-law made one. Through her work, she highlights her Black heritage, incorporating photos of notable Black Americans, including Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Harriet Tubman—who led an enslaved woman on a harrowing escape through Brenda’s hometown of Seaford. Brenda also weaves local Black history into her work, and she’s made more than 150 prayer quilts, too. The act of quilting, she said, allows her to honor her faith.
Claudia Banks
Claudia Banks wasn’t a fan of sewing class as a child in Switzerland, but three decades later, those once-despised skills became her life’s passion. After working for 15 years as a veterinary technician, she taught herself to quilt in 2015, starting with a simple baby blanket for her brother’s first born. Four years later, she left veterinary medicine to pursue quilting full time and now runs Bay Avenue Studio from her home in Lewes, where she lives with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Jona. She designs geometric quilt patterns, loves playing with color and solid fabrics, and finds joy in giving quilts to family and friends.
Delaware’s Biggest Cheerleader: Deirdre Taylor
Deirdre Taylor loves her native state so much that she is willing to share a tidbit of its history with anyone who will listen. But she does even more than just talk about her state. She is a passionate volunteer docent with the local historical society, and she is one of many quiltmakers in her two guilds who makes loads of quilts for Delaware’s community organizations and hospitals.
Cut and Ship Fabrics
Like many military families, KC and Steve Daniel are used to packing up and moving at a moment’s notice. KC’s advanced degrees allowed her to work remotely from anywhere—but she craved a creative outlet that could travel with her. Quilting became that answer. But that’s only part of the story. “I like quilting, but I’m more of a businessperson,” KC admitted. Soon, Cut and Ship Fabrics was born. Today, KC manages roughly 88,000 yards of fabric, making her the owner of Delaware’s largest online quilt shop.
Madge Ziegler
During lockdown, longtime quilter and historian Madge Ziegler created her “COVID quilt,” Leaf Me Alone, using vintage 1930s fabrics to revive a damaged quilt from the same era. What began as a way to fill the quiet hours became another chapter in her lifelong journey through quilting—a passion that started in childhood 4-H classes and grew into a multifaceted career as a teacher, collector, conservator, and lecturer. Madge’s deep love of quilt history has guided both her art and her scholarship, especially through her involvement with the American Quilt Study Group, where she participates in intensive quilt study projects that blend research, reproduction, and creative interpretation. Whether teaching, repairing, or making, Madge continues to find joy in every layer of quilting life—and, as she says, it’s a happy bonus that it funds her next fabric purchase or quilt show adventure.
Mary Anne Fontana
Mary Anne Fontana’s love of quilting came from summers spent with her Ukrainian grandmother and aunt. “Going to my grandmother’s and watching them quilt became my happy place,” she said. After a long career in a different field, Mary Anne switched to full-time quilting, now creating award-winning quilts, patterns, and videos. And she has much more planned for 2026!
Myra Nevius
When Delaware quilter Myra Nevius first picked up a needle in 1997, she had no idea it would spark a lifelong passion. Nearly three decades later, she’s created more than a hundred quilts, filled her home studio with clever tools and machines, and built a vibrant community around her craft. From guild meetings to museum exhibitions, Myra’s quilting journey reflects both her love of precision and her joy in creative discovery. Whether she’s testing the latest gadget or stitching for a cause, her work continues to inspire—and connect—quilters across the region.
Nancy Quade
Nancy Quade loves the Delaware State Fair. She’s entered several quilts over the years and has even come home with a few ribbons, including a blue ribbon in 2019 for one very special quilt featuring outlines of 57 hands, all belonging to her family members. This priceless quilt has set a new tradition. Whenever anyone in the family is sick, Nancy ships them the quilt. When they’re feeling better, they ship it back, and Nancy gets it ready for the next relative in need of some familial love.
Quilts of Valor
From its first stitches in Delaware to nearly half a million quilts nationwide, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has grown into a movement of gratitude. What began as Catherine Roberts’ dream during her son’s deployment now connects thousands of quilters across the country, each creating handmade quilts to honor and comfort veterans and service members touched by war.
Samantha Ford
When Samantha Ford steps away from her day job as an art director in financial tech, she turns her creative attention to quilting, sewing, and screenprinting. Her creations are uniquely suited to her whimsical, alternative style, featuring her love for all things vintage and historic—especially clowns.
Sarah Pavlik
Artist and quilter Sarah Pavlik draws deeply from her life experiences and her mother’s enduring spirit to create bold, abstract works of art. Her quilt featured in Nancy Crow’s Color Improvisations III exhibition displays the blend of humor, perseverance, and reflection that defines her practice. After years of balancing teaching and caregiving, Sarah now devotes full days to her craft in her Lewes studio, constantly experimenting with new materials and techniques. Her work continues to gain national attention, earning her spots in juried shows, residencies, and an upcoming textile art gallery in New York City.
The Vasey Family
Kathy Vasey loves the satisfaction she gets from quilting. Sewing, she says, is an essential skill in an era in which so much can be ordered cheaply online. She shares that passion with her large family, including her daughters-in-law, granddaughters, and nieces, each of whom have dabbled in quilting as a result of Kathy. Her home in Greenwood reflects her passion—when her small sewing space could no longer contain her many projects, she and her husband knocked out walls to build out her large craft room, a space that’s now a gathering place for Kathy to continue to share her love of quilting.
Winterthur Museum
Step inside Winterthur, the sprawling former estate of Henry Francis du Pont, where textiles—and especially quilts—take center stage. Guided by curator Matthew Monk, Quiltfolk explores the museum’s astonishing collection, from elaborate 19th century mosaic quilts to humble everyday coverings once used in colonial homes. Along the way, readers will discover du Pont’s sometimes unorthodox collecting habits, his lifelong devotion to textiles, and the legacy of preservation and scholarship that continues to thrive at Winterthur today. This is a story of opulence, obsession, and the enduring artistry of American quilts.
Look for the following articles on the Quiltfolk Journal!
Ladybug Quilt Guild
Every month, dozens of quilters gather at the Newark Senior Center in Delaware to share projects, swap stories, and celebrate creativity as part of the Ladybug Quilt Guild. Founded in 1979 by teacher Sallie Matthews, the guild has grown into a 150-member community representing every quilting style—from hand appliqué to modern design. Beyond monthly meetings and shows, the Ladybugs donate hundreds of quilts, pillowcases, and handmade items to local hospitals and charities each year. For members, quilting is more than a hobby—it’s friendship, purpose, and a “warm hug” stitched into every piece.
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