After growing indigo in the summer of 2022, I was inspired to make a quilt where all materials were sourced as Close to Home as possible. This project was a conduit for learning & reflection on the history of indigo and cotton in the South, the decline of NC textile manufacturing, and traditional methods for indigo fermentation, hand quilting, and wood ash lye. Dye: homegrown indigo (Durham, NC) fermentation vat fed with sweet potatoes (Hillsborough, NC), wheat bran (Mebane, NC), wood ash lye (Raleigh, NC), and other alkalis (USA) Fabric: 100% organic cotton grown in TX and processed in NC, SC, GA Batting: 100% cotton grown in USA and processed in CT, VA Thread: 100% organic cotton grown in USA and processed in Europe Quilting was done by hand on a vintage quilt frame from Stony Fork, NC. Design is a modernization of a quilt made in my house circa 1940.
