09/25/2026
Over the last few years I’ve been privileged to be able to travel the world for both work and play meeting quilters of different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds than only the quilters inside my bubble at home. These interactions, traded stories, and friendships have only made me a better person, creative, artist, and quilter. This is only one reason it’s important to build a diverse quilting community.
Rashida Coleman-Hale and Jen Hewett are only two of the talented women of color in our industry, and they by no means need me standing up and speaking on their behalf. However, we shouldn’t be demanding women of color to produce free labor to make us feel more comfortable, check a box, and pat ourselves on the back.
It’s good to be asking for more from the major companies in our industry, but we also need to do the work ourselves. So ask how we can be the change we need in our communities and ourselves. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I do try to keep learning, and the only person responsible for me learning how to be better is myself.
