EDNA C. ALSTON

MEMBER, AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILT CIRCLE OF DURHAM

Edna’s mother would say, “If you can sew, you will always have something to wear.” Edna took this statement to heart. She began sewing her second year in junior high school and advanced her skills by taking classes and watching Sandra Betzina on HGTV. She made garments for herself and members of the family. Edna taught her mother how to read the pattern guide sheet and construct garments. Her greatest joy was to sew with her mother and to see her mother’s exuberance when the beautiful garments were complete.

In 1998 Edna’s dear friend, Annette Bailey, began to talk to her about quilting. She had admired beautiful quilts but had no interest. Her thought process was that she could have two or three outfits completed during the time it took to complete one quilt.

Annette persisted and invited her to attend a Log Cabin class. The class started at 9:00 a.m. and they sewed strips together until noon. When Edna became tired of sewing strips she asked the question, “When am I going to see a cabin?” She felt silly after the instructor explained that “Log Cabin” is the name of a pattern. From that day forward, she would read to learn terminology before going to a new class.

Edna and Annette took another class, a kaleidoscope class. The class was interesting but the cutting instructions were not clear. That did not stop her, she began to take additional classes to build her confidence and to try other patterns. She made a quilt for all of her immediate family members.

In 1998, Edna became a member of the African American Quilt Circle and later joined Durham Orange County Quilters’ Guild. “Oh boy,” she was on a roll, making two big block quilts a month! To make a long story short, she was dubbed the “Big Block Queen.” When she finally made a quilt with small blocks, no one believed it. Today she still loves her “Big Blocks.”

Edna served for many years as president of the African American Quilt Circle. She taught Basic Sewing at Durham Tech Community College and at the now closed Hancock’s Fabric Store in Durham, North Carolina. She loves to put quilts in AAQC quilt shows and local exhibits.