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The book Stitched from The Soul features a rare photo of Jane Arthur Bond, an enslaved woman, standing next to Rebecca Bond Routt, one of the white women who owned Jane throughout her life. The book also shows a quilt Jane and Rebecca created together. Jane had two sons, James and Henry. My mother’s side of the family are descendants from the James side. Sarah and e Bond are from the Henry side. In my upcoming book, A Language of Stitches: The Radical Quilts of Rosie Lee Tompkins, quilting is passed down from mother to daughter. To honor my family’s history of quilting, I used the 9-patch quilt sewn by Jane Arthur Bond as inspiration. I painted my version of Jane’s quilt in the opening pages depicting a young Rosie and her mother quilting together. There is a connection between all women who sew together scraps to make something beautiful. Especially African American, women who have done so throughout history, often under brutal circumstances. I’m grateful to pay tribute to and continue this connection to quilting, stitching, and fabric craft through my art and illustrations. The final image (not shown) is created from graphite, gouache, and color pencils. I can’t wait for you to see the final spread inside the book.
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