by Andres Tellez
Boone, NC — September 2025 — The Watauga County Public Library will co-host a free community quilting workshop on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as part of Quilting for Community Recovery, a collaborative project led by faculty from North Carolina State University, Appalachian State University, and Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia).
The workshop invites community members to share their experiences of Hurricane Helene through quilting as a form of storytelling. Participants will create quilt squares that represent personal and collective experiences of the storm. The quilts will later be exhibited across the participating institutions to honor these stories and reflect on resilience and recovery.
Quilting for Community Recovery draws on Appalachian quilting traditions and applies a participatory design method and a trauma-informed approach to creative practice. By participating, community members contribute to preserving local history, strengthening community ties, and creating space for healing. No prior sewing experience is required, and all materials are provided. The event is bilingual (English and Spanish) and open to the public.
The initiative is co-led by Dr. Andrés Téllez, Assistant Professor of Design Studies at NC State University; Dr. Isabel Arteaga-Arredondo, Associate Professor of Architecture at Universidad de los Andes; and Dr. Nicole Villarreal, Assistant Professor of Apparel Design at Appalachian State University. Together, their research explores textiles as a cultural and methodological tool for community recovery, resilience, and memory-making.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Watauga County Public Library, 140 Queen St, Boone, NC 28607
Admission: Free; open to the public; bilingual; no experience necessary; materials provided
For more information about the project or to register, visit go.ncsu.edu/quilting
Media Contacts:
Dr. Andrés Téllez – NC State University – fatellez@ncsu.edu
Monica Caruso – Watauga County Public – mcaruso@arlibrary.org
Applied Design Logo thumb
Applied Design Logo thumb