Laurel Horton

Laurel Horton has been making quilts since 1975. Although best known as a textile researcher, author, and editor, she is also recognized as an imaginative fabric artist and inspiring teacher. She has made some sixty large bedquilts and numerous wall quilts, but her recent work is producing decorative, one-of-a-kind potholders. These small creations allow her to do what she loves most—playing with fabrics, making a conscious decision with each piece she adds.
She particularly enjoys experimenting with “string patchwork,” a simple, traditional technique that lends itself to almost infinite variation. Laurel is a regular instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School, in Brasstown NC, where her “String Patchwork” class gets rave reviews from her students. Her class is designed to accommodate both beginners and intermediate quiltmakers. Laurel describes her class as a low-tech, low-stress way to “jump-start” the design process.
Laurel is a native of Jeffersontown, Kentucky. She holds a BA in English and an MS in Library Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MA in Folklore from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill. Her published work includes a book, Mary Black’s Family Quilts: Memory and Meaning in Everyday Life, and numerous articles, research papers, and book reviews. She lives with her husband, Wayne Richard, in Seneca, South Carolina.