MARJORIE DIGGS FREEMAN

MEMBER, AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILT CIRCLE OF DURHAM

Marjorie Diggs Freeman, a retired educator from New Jersey, cannot recall a time in her life that was void of needlework of some kind. She was inspired and encouraged by her mother who made most of the clothing worn by her large family as well as all things made from fabric used in the home. Her first needlework, sewing and knitting, led to detailed embroidery and needlepoint and ultimately to quilting. In the late 1980s, fascinated by the sundry patterns found in a basic how-to-quilt book, she taught herself the multiple skills needed to make her first quilt. Diggs Freeman, determined to make the queen size quilt by hand, did not finish it until years later while a resident in rural upstate New York. Being a purist, that initial quilt making experience helped her to find great joy in the efficiency of machine piecing all future quilts.

Her move to Durham, North Carolina, in 1992 changed her life! There she became saturated in the richness of her Afro-American culture and began to concentrate on quilting as art reflective of her newfound, active environment. She met African American quilters who encouraged her attempts to move from the static traditional patterns learned in books, to the free form expressive designs she now creates. As one views her work over the years, her growth in design and ability to use a variety of fabrics and bright colors is evident. Her meticulous applique and attention to details and handwork often slows the quantity of art produced but magnifies the amount of satisfaction it brings to her and ultimately to the viewer.

Ms. Diggs Freeman’s art quilts have been exhibited and published in books and periodicals nationally and internationally while some have toured for periods of five or more years. In addition, the pins and cards she creates using African fabrics are sold to people throughout the United States. Her creative journey will be unending as she continues to have new ideas and experiences and learns new techniques and means of expressing herself with fabric. Her love affair with cloth has nurtured her for decades and quilting will always feed her soul and bring her peace.