Sew & Sew
Whether in fabric or in fields, we’re stitching the pieces together.
Written By: Laura DeFeo
It has been an eventful month, both on the farm and for the DeFeo household more generally, and sewing has been on our minds in more ways than one.
Spring has finally arrived, and with it comes a return to active production. Chris and Amy have been hard at work preparing the fields and the high tunnel. Seeds for carrots, radishes, arugula, and baby lettuce mixes have been sown, and seedlings of chard, beets, kale, lettuce, and sugar snap peas are being transplanted in anticipation of harvests to come.
Meanwhile, I’ve been out of town most weekends, with my travel schedule kicking off in late February when I joined some fantastic friends for a weekend in Raleigh to attend QuiltCon 2026.
Sewing runs on both sides of my family. My mom is a prolific creator and crafter, and my grandmother on my dad’s side shared that same passion. So perhaps it’s no surprise that I find myself drawn to similar traditions!
A photo of my grandma and her best friend quilting, circa 1930s.
Organized annually by the Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting event in the world. Modern quilting emphasizes design and originality over exact replication, leaving space for innovation, interpretation, and personal expression.
One of the highlights for me was spending time with members of the Gee's Bend Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy. The Freedom Quilting Bee was established in 1966 as an outgrowth of the civil rights movement, after a visiting priest and civil rights worker noticed the works of art hanging on local clotheslines and saw the potential for community members to turn their artistry into a thriving business. Today, their work is recognized around the world and is displayed in major museums.
Their display wasn’t just something to observe; it was something to join. Visitors were invited to sit down together and add stitches to their quilts, making our own contributions to the craft and to the lively conversation.
We spent the weekend immersed in quilt exhibits, lectures, and (of course) a vendor hall with all the doo-dads, knick-knacks, fabrics, and inspiration a sewist could want. Here are a few examples of the creativity that was on full display:
Clockwise from top left: 1) A Maryland Crab-themed community outreach quilt from the Baltimore Modern Quilting Guild. 2) A competition quilt from Colorado featuring an image of the maker’s mother. 3) A rooster design that any farmer could appreciate! 4) One of many fabulous fashions presented by Bianca Springer of Thanks! I Made Them.
Seeing the care and passion behind each piece, I was reminded of that same dedication in the way Chris approaches the work of growing. And much like sewing a quilt from many pieces, stitch-by-stitch, until the full pattern comes into view, the team is moving through the active season here on the farm: cultivating, planting, and tending toward the harvest that will follow, patiently, diligently, and one row at a time!
