Joan Thornbury has been involved with different forms of needle arts since she was 8 years old.
“When I was a child, a woman in my neighborhood invited one of my girlfriends and me to her home frequently and taught us embroidery, knitting and crocheting,” said Thornbury. “Also, women in my family were creative and did needle arts, so I was surrounded by it growing up.”
For more than 20 years, she had a cross-stitch pattern business but has spent the past decade quilting both traditional patterns as well as more contemporary designs.
Thornbury enjoys quilting realistic images, too. In 2000, she designed “The Chattanooga Quilt,” representing 16 important business and landmarks in the Chattanooga area. It was auctioned during a fundraiser for Family and Children’s Services of Chattanooga (now Partnership for Families, Children and Adults).
Familiar with Thornbury’s skills and generosity, Karen Murphy, a board member of the Houston Museum, asked her to design a quilt for the museum’s 50th anniversary. The quilt will be auctioned during a special, celebratory open house on March 5.