MELANIE Y. DANTZLER

MEMBER, AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILT CIRCLE OF DURHAM

Melanie Y. Dantzler has been a member of the African American Quilt Circle in Durham since 2005. Her sewing history extends back to Eliot Junior High School in Altadena, California. Her love of sewing progressed to the art of quilt making after she completed college. Melanie currently works as a Nurse at the VA Medical Center in Durham, NC.

Melanie is encouraged, inspired, and awestruck when she sees beauty, whether man-made or in nature. She takes inspiration from the color of fabric, variegated thread, the way fabric lays across the batting, and how thread is used to strategically hold layers of fabric together.

She sits barefoot and begins sewing by pressing the foot pedal down, her hands gently guide two pieces of cotton under the presser foot to form common shapes. She creates quilted designs on fabric sandwiches, which are composed of top fabric, batting, and a backing fabric. Melanie uses uncommon mediums, such as silk and mud cloth, with simple techniques and common patterns. She quilts so that all can enjoy the beauty of her art. She quilts so people can find comfort on cold winter nights.