Ten years ago I decided to write a novel about a 19th-century Quaker who emigrates from Dorset to Ohio and works to help slaves escape to freedom. I wanted to include in The Last Runaway (2013) an activity both English and American women did in their spare time, and landed on quilting. I could barely sew a button on but decided that to write accurately about this longstanding craft, I must learn to do it myself. I took a class, discovered that I loved it, and have been making quilts ever since.
There are many different quilt styles, from traditional patchwork to modern art quilts made by the likes of Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry. I love the combination of beauty and practicality, and how quilts are imbued with the maker, literally absorbing their blood, sweat and tears. My favourite style is the colourful, rough-and-ready quilts made from everyday clothing by African American women in Gees Bend, Alabama.