Mary Warner (second from the left) feels fortunate to share her love of quilting and sewing with village groups over several years in Africa.
Mary Warner, who lives in Bristol, Virginia, keeps a large part of her heart and hand-quilting skills in Abingdon, Virginia at Holston Mountain Artisans and Antiques.
“I have been a member of what is now Holston Mountain Artisans for nearly 25 years. I was accepted as a member — or ‘juried in’ — back when we were in the Cave House on Main Street. I started my quilting journey 30 years ago in the Dominican Republic where my husband was a diplomat with the U.S. government. I had never stitched a day in my life and found myself bored to tears while on bedrest during a difficult pregnancy. Luckily for me, I had a good friend who had been taught hand quilting by her grandmother, and she suggested I try it. She showed me some basics, and that ignited my love of quilting — and doing everything by hand — that has grown for three decades. From the Dominican Republic, we went to Panama where, not quilting per se, I learned to make molas, the local fabric art used for everything from decorative wall hangings to casual clothing. After a couple of years plying the local street markets for the unique, inexpensive and incredibly colorful Panamanian fabric, I found a new passion — searching for and collecting beautiful fabrics.
“From Panama, we went to Namibia in southern Africa where, despite my lack of formal training, I managed to ‘teach’ a few friends how to quilt — I guess, trying to share my growing love for the craft. By then, I had acquired my first sewing machine, and I had started piecing my tops by machine, but I was still quilting everything by hand. To this day, I am a hand quilter and love it. I piece the majority of my quilt tops by machine now. I’m embarrassed to say I have amassed a large number of unfinished tops, which I call my ‘UFOs,’ that I hope someday to get around to finishing by hand quilting,” she says.
From Namibia, they moved to Australia, which she calls a magical place for the whole family. There, she found her first real quilting community, Canberra Quilters, and took her first official classes. Finally with some more professional training, she learned easier ways to do things she had struggled with, but most importantly, she came to know what a special bond a quilting community creates.
The classes and experiences over four years in Australia gave her much more knowledge and confidence. After their next move, back to Africa, in Lilongwe, Malawi, she was able to take her skills beyond her comfort zone of friends quilting together. With the help of a friend running a USAID health program in a nearby village, she convened a group of mostly women and started sewing classes. In this incredibly impoverished setting, some of the most basic skills created opportunities of new income generation and better lives. During 13 years in Africa, she continued to build her skills and share her love for quilting.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that quilting opened doors of friendship, support and cultural awareness that have been a genuine blessing in my life,” Warner says.
She sells her quilts only at the Holston Mountain Artisans and Antiques cooperative.
“I believe strongly that the organization offers a great opportunity for local artists not only to sell their products but also to build and share their craft. Our staff is amazing at displaying and marketing the individual artist’s work, but they also work hard to coordinate classes and shows that expand the reach of the art out into the community.
“Our recent move back to Main Street where we opened March 1has had many challenges, but I feel like we have created an amazing new space with huge opportunities. The increase in foot traffic since opening had been incredible. It is still a big risk, but I believe we’ll succeed in creating a bigger and better platform for promoting and marketing the amazing work of local artists and artisans, and in preserving and broadening the reach of local crafts in our community.
“Please come check us out. I feel sure you will not be disappointed. We have been in Abingdon for over 50 years, and we plan to be around for a long time supporting local arts. Come check us out at 280 West Main Street in Abingdon,” she says.
