Have you ever thought about the similarities between pie baking and quilting? Author, pie baker, and now film producer Beth M. Howard has. In her documentary about pie baking in Iowa, cleverly titled PIEOWA: A Piece of America, she linked the two together
In the film’s introductory minutes, Doris Jean Azzaline, from Davenport, Iowa, holds a portrait quilt depicting herself and a blue-ribbon winning pie—while Beth explains, “Pie is woven into Iowa’s culture like the threads of a patchwork quilt.”
“I’ve competed in the Mississippi Valley Fair baking competition every year since 1996. Each year, my family takes a picture of me with the baked goods and ribbons,” Doris Jean said. One of those annual photos was the inspiration for this quilt created by this author, Diane L. Murtha, for a Wisconsin Quilt Show Bake-Off Challenge. Beth saw this quilt in 2018, and when she got the idea for this documentary in April 2023, she recalled, “I just knew I needed to feature this quilt as part of the film’s opening message.”
“The film is about pie and the outsized role it plays in Iowa’s—and America’s—culture, and the ways this humble pastry can unite us. Pie is a nonpartisan symbol of kindness, comfort, generosity, unity, and love,” Beth said.
Quilts and pies have more in common than you might think. Both are best when made by hand, not store bought. They both can invoke images of loved ones, fond memories, and, for many, feelings of love and comfort.
Compare slow and meticulous hand binding with the gentle and consistent pressure of rolling out pie dough. What about shortening, butter, or lard versus cotton, wool, or bamboo batting? A splash of vodka in the pie dough or a glass of wine while quilting. There are also many quilt blocks and patterns named after this delicious dessert: Spinning Pie Plates, Piece of Pie, Easy as Pie, Cherry Pie, Key Lime Pie, Blueberry Pie, Pie Slice, Pie in the Sky, etc.
Tactile hobbies with repetitive, methodical motion, like baking and quilting, can lead to a restful state. Studies have shown that these activities can lower blood pressure, boost mental and emotional wellbeing, and increase the chemical dopamine which fights anxiety and depression. And if you give your finished product to someone else, you get the added joy of giving. And that is Beth’s primary message, “I enjoy giving pie away. It makes people feel good.”
A few premiere film showings occurred throughout the summer across the state of Iowa. The small Fox Theatre in Fort Madison was nearly filled to capacity for the Saturday, June 21, 2025 showing. Baker and quilter Liza Alton, of Donnellson, Iowa, said, “I’m taking a break from the Yellow Door Quilt Store’s virtual Sweet Retreat quilting event to see the film. Then I’m going right back to the quilting retreat.” Sharon Huey, one of the pie bakers featured in the film with other St. Paul church ladies of Donnellson, brought friends Pat Haser and quilter Whilla Shinn along for the premiere.
Throughout the documentary, Beth depicts pie woven into the state’s cultural fabric from church fundraisers to nostalgic diners, farmers markets, pie shops, and Iowa State Fair competitions, as well as along the 500-mile bike ride across the state. And what else is found in many of these same places? Quilts.Â
She advocates for a better and kinder world, one piece of pie at a time. After the 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting, Beth organized volunteers that baked 250 pies for the residents of Newtown, Connecticut. In 2015, she embarked on a nine-country tour teaching pie classes to promote world peace. As a widow, she understands grief and the importance of building community. Similarly, quilt guilds across the country make quilts for a plethora of disaster relief efforts and worthy charities, also bringing comfort at a time of need.
“This documentary was a monstrous and sometimes terrifying project. As my first film, I am super critical of it. The technology aspects were so challenging,” Beth recalled. Her favorite parts of the film were the pie-eating contest and the ending. “The contest just makes me laugh. And I get emotional every time I see the film’s ending,” Beth said. “The film is a message for peace and nostalgia.”
A hug of warmth and comfort, whether it’s delicious or snuggly is always welcomed. Nostalgia runs deep in the history of both quilting and baking, not only in Iowa but across the country. If you are an artisan of flour and fruit or fabric and thread, embrace the joys of your love language and catch this feel-good flick when it’s in your area.Â
Diane L. Murtha is an award-winning quilter, fiber artist, author, and international lecturer and instructor. Quilting for over 30 years, she gravitated to art quilts and discovered she loves challenges. Her quilts and articles are included in books, 30 + magazines, and multiple juried exhibits and international shows. Diane published her first book, Artful Insights in Fiber: Quilted Bits of Wit & Wisdom in March 2023. She currently resides in Iowa. Learn more at www.dianeLmurtha.com, or follow her on Instagram @dianelmurtha.
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