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Deena Graham

Owner, Quiltmaker

  Oak Park, Michigan, United States    

Great Lakes African American Quilters Network

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My first memory of quilting was watching my grandmother hand quilt in our living room. She would set up a table in the middle of the living room and base stitch her quilt. I remember her trying to teach me how to knot a thread with a twist and a pull. To this day I still can't do it.

I knew one day I would start quilting because I wanted to carry-on my grandmother's legacy. I also had an aunt who was a quilter. I saved fabrics for years from simple dress making projects. Little did I know that most of the fabrics saved were not suitable for quilt making.

To start my journey, I took a class at Joann's Fabrics in 2014. My first quilt made was a small chevron quilt. The instructor had the class make a sample block of another pattern to take home. I remember asking after I got the block home, what is this block called again? Nine years later, I'm proud to say, it was a churn dash block and I can recognize it on sight.

I am a graduate of "YouTube University". I am a self-taught quilt maker. I am happy to say my quilt journey has been challenging and wonderful. I'm looking forward to many years of quilt making.

When was the quiltmaker born?

05/30/1959

Ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

Educational background:

Bachelor's degree: Special Education, Marygrove College
Masters degree: Learning Disability, Wayne State University

Occupation (if retired, former occupation):

Special Education Teacher

Where was the quiltmaker born?

Hardeeville, South Carolina (SC), United States

Number of children:

1

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Self-taught

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 50 or over

Why does/did the quiltmaker quilt:

Pleasure

Other reasons the quiltmaker makes/made quilts.

I quilt as a hobby and to continue my grandmother and aunt's quilting legacy.

Name of quilting group(s):

Great Lakes African American Quilters Network (GLAAQN), Livonia Civic Park Senior Center; Biennial quilt show, quilting workshops, charity quilts.

Estimate the number of quilts made by this maker:

20-50 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

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