Stories in the Seams: A People's History of Black Quilts and Their Makers

A sweeping survey of Black quiltmaking in America with stunning archival photographs of quilters and quilting bees, as well as full-page reproductions of both significant historical quilts and bold contemporary creations.

This compelling volume gives Black quilting traditions long-overdue attention, highlighting the artistry, innovation, and community solidarity of quilters from the 1700s through today. The deeply researched text of scholar and artist Dr. Sharbreon Plummer explores quilts as an archive of collective and personal memory, delves into methods of Black quiltmaking--both distinctive and endlessly diverse--and demonstrates the power of quilts and quilting as medicine against grief and oppression.

• This book evokes the craftsmanship and tactile beauty of quilts with stunning archival and full-color photos.
• Discover the stories of scores of individual creators throughout history, including self-taught seamstresses, community organizers, and archivists of everyday life.
• Delve deeper into the stories behind world-renowned artists, past and present, like Bisa Butler, Faith Ringgold, and the Quilters of Gee's Bend.
• Each profile illuminates the reasons behind the quilts: to honor heritage, express political beliefs, process grief, find peace, or simply create beauty.

Stories in the Seams celebrates the act of sewing in solitude or in community, as resistance or as rest. Whether you're a veteran quilter, a textile arts appreciator, or a beginner exploring the art form, this is an informative, inspiring, and indispensable resource.

JOIN THE QUILTING MOMENT: Whether you've been wowed by major museum exhibitions of textile arts, just joined a local quilting circle, or are simply a fan of patchwork styles and nostalgic Americana aesthetics, now is the perfect time to enrich your knowledge of quilt history.

UNTOLD HISTORY: This book shares the often-ignored stories of self-taught artists, independent women creators, intergenerational collaborations, and more. From artists who created under enslavement in the early 1800s to sewing cooperatives formed in the 1960s, Dr. Plummer traces the story of quilts through a lens of personal and communal healing.

A VIBRANT AND THRIVING CREATIVE TRADITION: Black quiltmaking isn't limited to one style or frozen in the past. This book highlights the kaleidoscopic variety and continual innovation that define this art form.

Perfect for:

• Quilters, sewists, and other crafters, makers, and collectors
• Art history buffs and readers of artist biographies
• Anyone interested in Black culture, history, and art
• Professional artists and designers, art students, and researchers
• Creatives interested in the intersection of art and activism

Author: Sharbreon Plummer
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Published: 10/06/2026
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.65lbs
Size: 8.90h x 7.40w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781797231570


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/21/2026

About the Author
Dr. Sharbreon Plummer is an internationally distributed writer, public scholar, curator, and interdisciplinary artist. Her research and artistic practice have been shaped by her investigations into Black art history and cultural studies, craft and material studies, Southern folkways, and her lived experience as a native of South Louisiana. She is the author of Diasporic Threads: Black Women, Fibre and Textiles and editor of Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilts in the American South. She is primarily based in New Orleans, Louisiana.