How Quilting Led to Friendship

Grace Ambassadors Dee and Amy followed each other on Instagram before they ever met in person. If you stop by either of their Instagram or TikTok accounts, you’ll find videos of them dancing together—high-fiving, twirling, booty-bumping—all while wearing self-made, quilted clothing.

Amy is an expert longarm quilter living in Quito, Ecuador. She’s known for her intricate custom designs and high-energy, dance-while-you-quilt videos. Dee is a master in her own right—she’s cornered the market on “pixel quilts.” She lives 2,700 miles away from Amy in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

At first, Amy was drawn to Dee for her art: gorgeous portrait quilts made to look like pixelated photographs—but it was Dee’s personality that convinced Amy that they had to be friends. Then, last June, they finally had the opportunity to meet up in Liberty, Missouri for the Quilting is My Therapy Annual Quilt Walk.

“Amy and I pretty much became best friends that day,” Dee says. “I don’t think there’s been a day we haven’t talked since.”

Since their meetup in Liberty, Amy and Dee have reunited at multiple quilt shows and collaborated on three quilting projects so far.

 

The Morgan Wade Quilt

The latest is a 72” x 54” quilt featuring the country music singer Morgan Wade in thousands of sepia-tone squares. Dee connected with Wade’s music immediately—two of her songs made Dee tear up on her first listen: Wilder Days and, ironically, Don’t Cry.

But, just as was the case with Amy and Dee’s connection, it isn’t just Wade’s art that stood out. “I was also really touched with the journey she has gone on … after testing positive for the RAD51D gene.” Dee says. The test results and a history of cancer in her family convinced Wade to get a preventative double mastectomy. Her story hit close to home for Dee. “My best friend back home in England, Jess, who I have known for 35 years, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2022.” Seeing her friend go through surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation only made Dee feel more connected to Wade’s story.

When Dee learned that Wade would be in Tulsa for a concert on May 10th, 2024, she knew she had to make the country artist a quilt—and she’d need Amy’s help. Dee would do all the cutting and piecing, then she would pack up the quilt and mail it the 2,700 miles to Quito for Amy to do the quilting.

 

Quilting 2,700 Miles Apart

The timeline would be tight—but to Dee it was worth it. “I honestly have not seen anyone match Amy's level of artistry and detail. There are always meaningful and thoughtful elements in her quilting that blow me away.”

After she finished the quilt’s design and cut out all the fabric, Dee only had 3 days to sew all the pieces together and get the in-progress quilt into the mail to send Amy’s way. She had to sew for 19 hours a day to get it done, but she pulled it off, and 2,700 miles later, Amy took up the torch.

“Since [this quilt] is extra special, I believe Dee wanted custom quilting,” Amy says. Before the quilt was delivered, Amy studied up on Morgan Wade. “I have learned that when doing custom quilting, it really makes a huge difference to research, listen, and learn in order to pick the quilting designs.”

I have learned that when doing custom quilting, it really makes a huge difference to research, listen, and learn...

Amy used her Q’nique 21X Elite and Continuum II Frame to quilt intricate patterns, symbols, and words over every square inch of Dee’s piecing. “Dee sent me a list of some of her favorite [Morgan Wade] lyrics... and those lyrics are quilted on her face and hair. The background quilting is really where I had to do some [searching on google images.] …I ended up quilting at least 20 of her tattoos.”

After 15 hours of painstaking quilting, Amy mailed the project back to Tulsa, and Dee waited to see if it would arrive in time for the show. Though it turned up four days after the projected delivery date, the quilt made it back to Dee’s sewing room with time to spare.

How Connection Leads to Quilting

Amy and Dee’s quilting sparked their friendship and a collaborative quilting partnership that turns out truly gorgeous quilts. In a way, the Morgan Wade quilt embodies their connection. They united to celebrate a powerful, inspirational artist—to make art inspired by her art—and isn’t that what their friendship has been all along? Two artists inspiring one another and creating?

Who knows, maybe when Dee gives the finished quilt to Morgan Wade, another creative connection will be made.

Amy and Dee plan to continue their collection of collaborative quilts celebrating inspirational women. Follow their journeys on TikTok and Instagram @quitoquilts and @pixelquilt.

 

QUILT STATS:

• 3,372 pieces of fabric
• 14 different shades of fabric
• 72” x 54”
• Time Spent:
• Cutting and piecing (Dee)  – 55 hours
• Quilting (Amy) – 15 hours (+ untracked research time)