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Charles Needles Eleanore
Three Line Conversations
“Stop your flirting, Charles, we got work to do.”
“I’m just saying your needlework is a reflection of your own beauty. That’s all.”
“And I’m just saying I will use this needle on your mouth if you don’t get busy.”
During the Great Depression, surplus materials were used to craft quilts, helping Southerners survive the hard times. Quilting Bees were held with neighbors to lighten the load and as a welcome source of social interaction.
Photographers from Farm Security Administration documented quilted activities in small towns throughout the United States. These photographs (like the one this story is based on) can be found in the Library of Congress.
Quilting and quilting bees are a centuries-old tradition in America. From necessity to folk art, quilting is as varied as the quilters themselves.
Harriet Powers was born a slave in 1837, and married young, to Armstead Powers. Sometime after the Civil War, they became landowners and raised nine children. Harriet crafted elaborate quilts with historical legends, Biblical stories, and natural phenomena.
Later in life, out of necessity, she reluctantly sold her quilts. The sales resulted in two…
