Quiltmaking has a rich history of telling stories; the African American quilters of Gees Bend were the first to use quiltmaking as a form of literature. Gees Bend is an isolated community in Alabama with a long history of quiltmaking passed on from generation to generation. I drew inspiration from the women of Gees Bend and created quilts that display their own narratives. Layered on top of my quilts are cloth cyanotype self-portraits; cyanotype is an alternative process created by Sir John Herschel in 1942. Cyanotypes are my photographic method of choice because of their early use by Anna Atkins. Atkins used cyanotypes as a method to explore and study British algae; I am utilizing cyanotypes as a method to explore and study my childhood. Custom-crafted stamps are within my quilts' corners and outer borders, representing motifs within the narrative. Each stamp has significance, pulling inspiration from formative literature from my adolescence and critical memories shaping who I am.

As the viewers stand before my handmade art pieces, they are compelled to read between the thread, utilizing pictures, motifs, and gallery text to connect to this narrative. Spoonie was made to work through the grief and disconnect I feel when viewing images of my past self. While pouring countless hours into my thesis, the narrative changed—this is not just about my childhood narrative but the numerous additional neurodivergent narratives that are repeatedly unrepresented.