I'm Wesley Hall. I Make Quilts and Talk About Them.
I've spent more than ten years at a sewing machine in Atlanta, and the longer I quilt, the more interested I get in the people who did it first. These days I make my own work and bring quilt history, narrative quilts, and memory quilt techniques to guilds, classrooms, and conferences.
Looking for a custom quilt? Please read this first ↓
I've Stopped Taking Custom Orders
For more than a decade, Quilts by Big Wes made t-shirt quilts and memory quilts for families all over Atlanta. Hundreds of them. I loved that work, and I'm proud of every quilt that left the studio.
I'm also finished with it. I no longer take commissions, longarm jobs, binding, or repairs. If you came here with a box of shirts and a deadline, I'm sorry to send you off empty handed. A local quilt guild is the best place to find a maker who is taking work.
What I still do is talk about quilts, to anyone who will sit still long enough. That part isn't going anywhere.
Talks About the Stories Quilts Carry
A quilt is a historical document. It just happens to be one you can sleep under. My talks dig into what quilts record and how they record it, from the Underground Railroad quilt legend and what historians have actually found, to Gee's Bend, Harriet Powers, and the working techniques behind a good memory quilt.
I've given them at quilt guilds across Georgia and the Southeast, and as a guest lecturer at Howard University, Georgia Tech, and Lehman College. The room changes. The subject doesn't.
Talks I've given:
- Working With What We Have: Memory Quilt Tips and Techniques
- Listening to What Quilts Tell Us
- African American Quilt Traditions and Pioneers
- The Legend and Significance of Underground Railroad Quilts
A Decade of Quilts
A few of the quilts I've made over the years. Every one of them taught me something, usually about patience.
Quilt History, Block by Block
The Meaning Behind Popular Quilt Blocks
From the Flying Geese to the Log Cabin, every quilt block has a history. These patterns carry stories passed down through generations of American quilters.
Ten Iconic Symbols in African Print Fabric
African print fabric is one of the most visually rich textile traditions in the world. These ten symbols carry stories of identity, community, and craft.
African American Quilt Traditions and the Legend of the Underground Railroad Quilts
African American quilting is a tradition of creativity, necessity, and resistance. This post explores the rich history behind the craft and the community that shaped it.
Bring the Conversation to Your Group
Guilds, universities, conferences, and community groups. In person or virtual. Tell me about your event and I'll follow up directly.