Story Quilt
Artist
Sarah Mary Taylor
(American, 1916 - 2000)
Datec. 1980
MediumCotton, poly/cotton, and denim
Dimensions77 3/4 x 62 inches
Credit LineGift of The Judith Alexander Foundation.
Object number2011.20.5
On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright© Judith Alexander Foundation / Atlanta, Georgia.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThis appliqued Story Quilt has multi-colored figures, human and animal, upon red, pink, blue, and white foundation blocks with red, pale blue or pink sashing. Sarah Mary Taylor lived and worked on plantations throughout the Mississippi Delta for most of her life as a field hand picking cotton. Later in life she worked as a cook and then as a general housekeeper before retiring to Yazoo City, Mississippi. It was in retirement that Sarah began her successful and creative quilting career. Made from pieces of old dresses, the quilts are brightly colored, and feature motifs including hands, the Statue of Liberty, guns, chickens and men wearing scarves. Sarah's quilts have been exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She was also commissioned to create a quilt for the 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple.