The Quilt Alliance membership includes some of the most interesting people in the quilt world! This series will introduce and document the rich stories and talents of our members. In this episode, meet Vicki Harrell, a quilt restorer and retired Home Economics teacher from Ayden, North Carolina. Vicki is not only a member of the Quilt Alliance, but is also a member of the Greenvile Quilters Guild, the American Quilt Study Group and the Carolina Textile Study Group.
I met Vicki through Lynn Lancaster Gorges, a conservator based in New Bern, North Carolina who restores and studies textiles. I was meeting with Lynn about a quilt history matter, and I told her about a friend looking for the services of a quilt restorer. I confessed that after seeing the beautiful well-loved quilt made by my friend’s grandmother, I was tempted to try to repair it myself. Lynn was kindly encouraging, but also recommended fellow conservator Vicki Harrell, also located in Eastern N.C. I contacted Vicki and she was glad to work with my friend to restore his quilt. After the work was completed, my friend emailed me to say he was so pleased with the work Vicki had done, and he attached the restoration report she provided.
Vicki’s careful restoration and thorough documentation show a real love of quilts and their makers, and I am eager to share her story with you. I hope you story-loving, quilt-loving folks enjoy my virtual visit with Vicki Harrell in our very first episode of our series, Meet a QA Member!