Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 9.05 Crafts
Presentation #1 Title
The Appalachian Heritage Quilters: The Role of Faith in a Quilters Group
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Appalachian Heritage Quilters is a quilting group that meets in Gray, Tennessee, along the I-26 corridor, connecting Johnson City, Kingsport and their rural surroundings. This paper describes how Christian faith affects the unusual organizational structure of the guild, group interactions and even the quilts that are made. The Appalachian Heritage Quilters, aptly named, was founded as a Christian quilting group. Like other quilt groups, often called quilt guilds, it welcomes members of all faiths. It provides social support, classes, a venue in which to show quilts, and opportunities to engage in a variety of charitable projects. Unlike other quilt groups, it has a chaplain, a prayer-list coordinator, and weekly Bible-study classes. This qualitative study explores the intersection of the members’ religious faith and their participation in a modern craft with strong emotional ties to the past. Interviews with members explore the founding of the Appalachian Heritage Quilters, its activities and its role in supporting both religious expression and creativity.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Candace St. Lawrence is a graduate student in the Appalachian Studies Department of East Tennessee State University. She is a certified quilt appraiser, quilt teacher and designer.
The Appalachian Heritage Quilters: The Role of Faith in a Quilters Group
The Appalachian Heritage Quilters is a quilting group that meets in Gray, Tennessee, along the I-26 corridor, connecting Johnson City, Kingsport and their rural surroundings. This paper describes how Christian faith affects the unusual organizational structure of the guild, group interactions and even the quilts that are made. The Appalachian Heritage Quilters, aptly named, was founded as a Christian quilting group. Like other quilt groups, often called quilt guilds, it welcomes members of all faiths. It provides social support, classes, a venue in which to show quilts, and opportunities to engage in a variety of charitable projects. Unlike other quilt groups, it has a chaplain, a prayer-list coordinator, and weekly Bible-study classes. This qualitative study explores the intersection of the members’ religious faith and their participation in a modern craft with strong emotional ties to the past. Interviews with members explore the founding of the Appalachian Heritage Quilters, its activities and its role in supporting both religious expression and creativity.
