Today we continue our feature on 19th century quiltmaker Harriet Powers and the re-creations of her work by the PSSMQG as seen in a special exhibit curated by Juandamarie Gikandi at the Houston International Quilt Festival. Also see Part 1 of our tribute for more on Harriet Powers and the significance of her work.
The Bible Quilt, 88” by 73 ¾", by Harriet Powers (1837-1910)
Finished in 1886, Harriet’s Bible Quilt is made from cotton cloth and and arranged in three rows, with a total of 11 panels, done by hand and machine applique. It portrays stories and scenes from the Bible, which were re-created in modern day fabrics by members of the PSSMQG as shown below.
Jacob’s Dream by Vera Hall
This beautiful block is a rendition of Jacob’s dream of a ladder to heaven, as shown in the original Bible Quilt above (second row, third block from the left.)
Vera writes, “Harriet Powers was born one hundred years before me – I feel like the next generation. Inspired by her brilliance, I hand-appliqued the piece, blending family collaboration, Biblical study, and vibrant fabrics. Like Powers, I honor tradition through community, research, and storytelling- infusing each stitch with history, faith, and personal meaning.”
Vera’s design source was a drawing done by Juandamarie Gikandi of the original Bible Quilt pattern. Vera used hand and machine applique, hand and machine embroidery, paper piecing, and embellishment to complete her meaningful block.
The Baptism of Christ by Juandamarie Gikandi
Juandamarie drew her pattern from a photograph of the original block of the Bible Quilt (second row, far right.) For this lovely and evocative block, Juandamarie used hand applique, dyeing, and quilting, plus machine and paper piecing.
Juandamarie explains, “Inspired by Harriet Powers’ vision of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism, I used South African Shweshwe fabric to suggest winged motion as the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, is shown descending and resting upon Jesus’ shoulder. Dutch wax fabric, rich with butterflies, fish, and lush foliage, evokes faith, beauty, and ancestral memory, its symbolism grounding the work in both spiritual transcendence and the story’s historical resonance."
Judas Iscariot and the Thirty Pieces of Silver by Victoria Meisel
Victoria Meisel’s block is based on the original Bible Quilt block on the bottom row, second from left. Victoria’s design inspiration was the pattern drawn by Juandamarie Gikandi.
Victoria remarks, “I chose bold, metallic fabric to reflect Mrs. Powers’ vibrant style. The 30 silver pieces symbolize Judas’ betrayal and the corrupting power of money. I used brown to express his loneliness, isolation, and sorrow. Quilting such a historically significant subject and re-imagining it in a modern context is truly exciting.” We admire Victoria’s beautiful work in hand applique and quilting!
The Holy Family by Mada Coles Galloway
NOTE: We truly enjoyed this wonderful special exhibit at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival. We are pleased to learn that the United States Postal Service will be issuing a commemorative postage stamp on February 26, 2023, in honor of Mrs. Harriet Powers and her contribution to the quilting arts and to African-American history.
Image credits: The photo of the Bible Quilt is from Wikipedia. Photos of the quilts by Vera Hall, Victoria Meisel, Mada Coles Galloway, and Juandamarie Gikandi were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.
