Storytelling Through Quilts with Valerie White

I had the pleasure of meeting artist and educator Valerie C. White In July 2022 when she came to the Golden Peak Media studios to appear in several episodes of Quilting Arts TV. As gifted with a paintbrush as she is with fabric, Valerie charmed us all with her curiosity and interest in storytelling through quilts, forms of fiber, and fine arts.

One quilt that she brought stopped us in our tracks when she revealed it — it was the quilt she called Hallelujah Juliette Miles Crossed Over. The colors were captivating, the machine quilting expertly done — and the look on Juliette’s face… it was hard to describe. Was it relief? Joy expressed with shyness? Or, perhaps, a complex combination of emotions.

As we talked with Valerie about the quilt, she revealed Juliette and her family’s complicated life of slavery in 19th century Kentucky. Obviously, storytelling through quilts is one of her strengths. So we asked Valerie to write down her story — it appears below and was also featured in Quilting Arts Magazine, Winter 2023 edition.

Introduction by Kristine Lundblad

Storytelling Through Quilts with Valerie White

This is the story of Juliette Miles and the quilt I made in her honor.

When the fabric for this quilt was hand-dyed, I had no idea it would become the catalyst for bringing people together in a way that would forever change them and me. Quilts are unique in that way. Creating this work was different from the very beginning. I wanted to learn to dye fabric almost at the same time I embraced art quilting. Initially, I had more disasters than successes.

However, I did create one piece of dye-painted fabric that was exceptional. Once dyed, the white fabric became a kaleidoscope of color; as soon as the cloth was rinsed, it sparkled. I decided to save the material for something deserving of its amazing beauty. I kept it in my stash for almost two years. During the interim period, I answered a call for entries for an exhibit titled “At the River’s Edge.” Being curious, I typed the title into the computer.

What happened next was more than serendipitous — it was divine intervention. This was the moment I first learned of Juliette Miles. The sentence in the computer read, “Juliette Miles was captured At the River’s Edge.” WOW, what had I stumbled upon? Who was Juliette Miles? I had to know who she was, and the more I discovered, the more intrigued I became.

In the meantime, I had almost forgotten about the piece of fabric created two years prior. Imagine my joy upon finding it again. Placing the material on my design wall, I immediately visualized the river and the early morning sky — perfect ground for Juliette to rest upon.

At the Edge of Discovery

The story of Juliette Miles is a rarely documented account of an African American woman’s efforts to free her children from the oppression and perils of slavery. In 1851, John Gregg Fee purchased Juliette from his father, intending to release her from bondage immediately. (The spelling of her name is based upon research from his autobiography.)

Some information maintains that Juliette took care of John Fee as an infant. Other research revealed she was his mother’s seamstress. Upon her liberation, Juliette was immediately ordered off the farm. At John Fee’s Jr. mother’s firm request, Juliette was given a home on that farm with her children and soon-to-be-free husband. I’m sure it was mainly due to her fine seamstress skills. Juliette and her husband remained on the farm in slavery rather than leave their children.

Finally, in 1851 Juliette was emancipated and left the farm; in 1858, Juliette returned to gather her two sons, three daughters, and four grandchildren to flee to Felicity, Ohio. In the early morning of Monday, October 18, 1858, they were discovered on the banks of the Ohio River at Rock Springs in Bracken County, Kentucky. Juliette had arranged for help to cross the dangerous Ohio River; in the early morning light, the “friends” from the other side of the river were gone.

She was captured by slave traders and remanded to jail, charged with enticing enslaved people. Her children were sold to slave traders in New Orleans. She was later transferred from the Bracken County Jail to the Kentucky State prison. Then she spent two years in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the State Penitentiary. Juliette died in 1860.

What happened next is possibly the most exciting part of my Juliette Miles story.

The Legacy Appears

While attending a quilt show in Williamsburg, Virginia, I shared a seat at a lunch table with an amiable lady. We chatted comfortably and before I knew it, I shared the story of my discovery of Juliette Miles. This woman seemed riveted by the story. The more I talked, the more her face revealed something else. Her eyes were filling with tears and her face flushed. Then she said, “I attend the Church Of Christ that John Gregg Fee founded in 1853; he was an abolitionist, minister, and educator, and the founder of the town of Berea, Kentucky. I have heard bits and pieces of the story of Juliette Miles.”

What are the chances of this happening?

We made plans to talk following a meeting she would have with the current minister — to suggest that I visit the church and bring Juliette back to exhibit in Berea. Finally, I made the trip to Berea, Kentucky. The Sunday service was exceptional. When the words, “Welcome Home Juliette,” were spoken, there was not a dry eye in the audience. I was overcome with emotions. Juliette exhibited in the sanctuary of the church for a year. Never to be sold again, she resides on a wall in my home.

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Hand-painted and dyed fabric. Textile paint, oil-based paint sticks, and tulle were used for the main body of the quilt. The image was fused onto felt and then stitched onto the background. The drawing was created using colored pencils and textile paint. Authentic African fabrics imported from Ghana were used to make her head wrap and dress.

How Will You Stitch Your Story?

So as you can clearly see, when it comes to storytelling through quilts, Valerie White knows exactly what she’s doing. Have you ever created a quilt that tells a story? Or perhaps you’ve seen a particularly moving design in a magazine or a quilt show? Whatever the case may be, we want to hear from you and see your favorite storytelling quilts! Share with us on Instagram, Facebook, or in the comments section below.