Jill Potkalesky
Dreaming of a Blue Texas
60” x 60”
Pattern: Texas Forever by Corinne Sovey
When I started thinking about sewing a "modern patriotic" quilt and thinking about what those terms meant to me, my mind immediately started thinking about Texas and home. For as long as I can remember, there have been attempts and goals to "turn Texas blue" from Texans who know our home is amazing, but can do better. Since moving away from Texas for grad school, I've heard quite a few jokes and derisive comments from non-Texans about how backwards or ridiculous Texas politics are. With that said, there are also countless good people in Texas who are working towards positive changes. I wanted to show the dream - a blue Texas.
Jill is originally from Dallas, TX and attended college in Austin, TX. She learned to sew as a kid, while spending time with her grandmother and helped make dresses, toys, and Halloween costumes. Jill first decided to attempt quilting in 2014, when she was frustrated at the length of time it took to crochet a baby blanket and thought surely sewing some fabric together would be faster. She joined the DCMQG in 2018 after relocating to Alexandria, VA with her husband and dogs. Jill works as an assistant project manager for an airspace consulting company, and works to find moments to quilt when the baby is asleep and work is done for the day.
