Lily was started ca. 1930-40, and finally finished by the Quiltfolk Foundry late in 2022.
“Tell the stories behind the stitches.”
This simple goal is the heartbeat of Quiltfolk, the foundation of everything we’ve created since 2016. Eight years ago, the magazine was our sole endeavor, but since then, we’ve taken on many new projects. In 2022, on World Quilting Day, we hosted a welcome party for our first-ever Block of the Month program. This year, we marked the day by launching a new project that will further our mission: tell the stories behind the stitches. And this time, we’re literally holding those stories in our hands, collaborating with quilters across space and time.
On March 18, we announced the launch of the Quiltfolk Foundry: where lost quilt tops and blocks are found, finished, then offered for sale in our shop. At the Foundry, “orphan” tops and blocks can continue their story as quilts that finally found a home.
You’ve seen these so-called “orphan” quilt tops and blocks in flea markets and antique malls. You may even have vintage “orphans” of your own. What is the story behind these stitches? Why didn’t the maker finish the project? Most of these loose tops and blocks don’t come with any information, but the reasons for the “UFOs” of yesterday are usually the same as they are today: Family, social commitments, work, illness, and the passing of the maker keep beautiful quilt tops and “orphan” blocks from finding a home as a completed quilt.
The Quiltfolk Foundry collects these special blocks and tops and then, with a trusted circle of talented home sewists and quilters, we turn those lost materials into beautiful quilts, ready to find the next chapter in their story.
By offering Foundry quilts for sale, we’re finding a loving home for these lost-and-found quilts and making it possible to pay our artisans to finish more quilts in the future. We launched with 12 and, as of this post, there are five available on the website. More than half have sold within the first few days of introducing this project!
So, if you see a quilt you love, don’t wait to make your purchase: Every Quiltfolk Foundry quilt is truly one of a kind. Once a Foundry quilt is gone, it’s gone. But you can rest assured knowing that there are more quilts on the way! We’ll continue to evolve the style and process—and share stories of the quilts as we go. And if you’d like to be involved in the Quiltfolk Foundry project, please feel free to send us an email.
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