Quiltfolk Issue 36

Alaska is known as The Last Frontier for good reason. It’s more than twice the size of Texas, with landscapes that stretch from temperate rainforests to icy tundra. Towering mountains dominate the horizon, their snow-capped summits meeting the clouds. Seventeen of the 20 tallest peaks in the United States—including Denali, aka The Great One—call this land home. Rivers wind through deep valleys, glaciers glint in the sunlight, and vast forests fill with wind and wildlife, each corner offering its own breathtaking view. Water shapes this place, too. With more than 33,000 miles of shoreline, Alaska’s coasts touch the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bering Sea. Along those shores and across the forests and tundra, wildlife thrives—Kodiak bears, bald eagles, and puffins with their colorful beaks are just a few of the unforgettable residents. And then, there are the people. Alaska is home to 228 federally recognized tribes and to countless adventurers who carve out lives in remote communities. Like the state itself, Alaskans are resilient, resourceful, and endlessly creative. That spirit shows up in their quilting. Each quilt, like each community, tells a story of tradition, imagination, and a deep connection to the land. As you turn these pages, we invite you to explore Alaska’s patchwork of people, places, and artistry—stitched together into something unforgettable. Pages: 164 Writers: Rebecca Bratburd, Mel Burke, Meg Cox, Teresa Duryea Wong, Courtney Mabeus-Brown, Christopher Michel, Diane L. Murtha, Frances O’Roark Dowell, Sharbreon Plummer, and Carmen Schell. Guest Writer: Angela Lot’oydaatlno Gonzalez Photographer: Azuree Holloway Photo Stylist: Trevor Holloway Guest Photographer: Jayme Houston Photography