American Seams

Filmmakers' note

My grandmother was an avid quilter. I have memories of her sunroom crowded with piles of fabric, numerous antique sewing machines, and talk of her ongoing projects and quilting groups. I was in awe when at 7 years old, she gave me my first quilt of purple and pink stars with little blue flowers on the border - a quilt which I have passed on to my children.

As a filmmaker, I wanted to capture her passion for her practice, but missed that opportunity when she passed away in 2023. Soon after, the idea for American Seams was born as a way to explore her legacy in my life.

Throughout the centuries, quilting has been closely associated with domesticity and the household, reflecting the roles and responsibilities traditionally assigned to women. In my culture, women are largely responsible for creating and maintaining the home, and quilting has historically been an integral part of that sphere. To many, these ideas of gender roles may seem archaic, but they are still very much a dominant experience for rural women in the American West.

American Seams captures the stories of three quilters. These women carry a matriarchal responsibility as keepers of people, land, and culture. They developed their art through the metamorphosis of motherhood and domestic responsibilities, and use quilting to support their survival.

With this film, I wanted to simulate the richness of experiencing a quilt - noting the meticulous process, materials, and methods, while hearing the stories that the quilt itself may hold. As each woman has a different approach to quilting, each vignette has its own style as well. The importance of interior and exterior places, the motif of hands, and the de nu meau of the quilt portraits creates a visual quilt of what it means to me to be a woman in the contemporary American West.