Georgia Bonesteel Recounts Quilting History
Narrates New National Quilting Documentary

Quilting master and teacher Georgia Bonesteel has spent 26 years in front of the camera as host and instructor for UNC-TV's Lap Quilting. Now she dons a new hat, as executive producer and narrator of a new quilting documentary, The Great American Quilt Revival.

Airing Thursday, December 1, at 10 PM on UNC-TV, The Great American Quilt Revival gave Bonesteel the chance to tell stories about quilting that would not fit into her regular series, in addition to allowing her to work with her son Paul, who co-produced the film.

"Paul forced me to look at the fantastic story of the American Quilt Revival from outside the quilt world looking in," said Bonesteel. "I think this has helped make this film interesting to everyone, not just quilters."

For centuries, quilts have been the stamp of a family's identity, communicating a message in its pattern, yet giving warmth on a cold night. But the art of quiltmaking took a dramatic turn in the late 1960s, when Jonathan Holstein and Gail van der Hoof bought their first quilt, utterly captivated by its complicated beauty. In 1971 they convinced the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to do something radical-to hang quilts on the walls of the museum like paintings. The exhibit sent shock waves through the modern art world and ignited a worldwide awareness of American quilts.

The Great American Quilt Revival relates the events that propelled quilting from a folk craft to a mainstream art form. The documentary examines the history of quilting through the eyes of several quilters and historians, including Cuesta Benberry, Jonathan Holstein, Jean Ray Laury, and, of course, its narrator.

The film has already captured the hearts of millions as it airs on public television stations across the United States. And in late October The Great American Quilt Revival won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Asheville Film Festival.

The Great American Quilt Revival also delves into different expressions of quilting, especially Amish and African American styles, and reflects on the change in quilt creation over the years, from thread and needle to quilting machines that speed through a threading pattern at the touch of a button.

The Great American Quilt Revival was produced by Asheville NC based Bonesteel Films in partnership with UNC-TV. Major funding has been provided by The Warm Company. Additional funding has been provided by American Quilter's Society, Bernina of America, Cranston Print Works and Gammill Quilting Systems. For more information about The Great American Quilt Revival, visit www.quiltrevival.com. Viewers can purchase DVDs of the documentary with additional scenes and interviews by visiting the Web site, calling 866-784-0300 or e-mailing Paul Bonesteel at paul@bonesteelfilms.com.

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-UNC-TV-