Facebook Tracking Pixel
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Mobile Logo
Carol Turner

Carol Turner

Quilter and seamstress Vilas, NC (Watauga County)

Carol Turner has a knack for working with needles and hooks. She grew up in the Shulls Mill community of Watauga County and spent time with her grandmother and great-aunt, both of whom quilted and embroidered. “She quilted all the time,” Carol says of her grandmother. “When I was a little girl, I loved it.” Carol’s love for quilting, knitting, crocheting, and other crafts has carried into her adult life, and she continues to stay active with her crafts.

When Carol was a young girl, her grandmother and great-aunt let her play with their tools when they worked on quilting and embroidery. Those early experiences quickly led to simple embroidery. As a teenager, Carol wanted an afghan, so she learned to crochet. “I was always interested in quilting,” she says, another craft she soon learned. “Then, in the late ’70s, cross stitch was popular, and I picked that up,” she says.

Carol has picked up patterns and styles from a variety of sources, including those from her family, the community, and publications. “I do a bit of it all,” she says. “But I really like the traditional patterns.” She also enjoys doing Hardanger embroidery, a Scandinavian style that includes intricate lacy patterns sewn into larger pieces.

Carol has been an active member of the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild in Watauga County for several years. She has presented her work at Appalachian State University for the Appalachian Heritage Council. Carol has also helped keep the family tradition alive, teaching her daughter to crochet and quilt. Though she does not sell much of her work, she keeps busy making gifts for family and friends, donating work to support local arts organizations, and knitting clothes for newborn babies in the community.

Availability

Carol is available to display her work and give presentations on quilting, crocheting, and embroidery work. She also considers requests for private lessons.