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For every book sold, the author will make a $4.00 donation to the American Indian College Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization.

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Sewing & Survival is a thoroughly researched narrative based on original sources, diaries, personal letters, and other notes highlighting Native American voices. Indigenous Americans have been sewing, weaving, making pottery and other crafts for thousands of years. Starting in the late 1800s, a fascinating shift took place as some makers turned their needle skills to quilting. To uncover the story of how quilting arts first took hold in the 19th century requires a look-back at a tumultuous period of American history to a time when Native American culture was under attack. Indigenous lands were taken away, missionaries swarmed onto reservations, children were forced into off-reservation boarding schools, and there were countless injustices forced on Native individuals. Remarkably, in spite of this chaos, quilting emerged as a preferred form of needlearts, and this book will explain how that transformation happened. While quilting skills were forced on some women, others came to quilting willingly. Equally compelling is the fact that quilting remains popular in Native communities today, and in fact, quilts are the cornerstone of Indigenous give-away traditions. In addition, numerous makers have turned their artistic talent to creating gorgeous contemporary art quilts and powerful story quilts that are coveted by museums and collectors.

Sewing & Survival: Native American Quilts from 1880 – 2022
Soft cover, 172 pages
9 x 11 inches
Richly illustrated with over 60 quilts, dozens of stunning historical images, and portraits of collectors and artists.
Publisher: Third Floor Quilts
Available: May 2023

All books will be autographed by the author!

quilt

Sewing & Survival: Native American Quilts from 1880-2022

Cotton & Indigo from Japan