Emma Mooney Pettway

Ms. Emma Mooney Pettway was born in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. She is a fourth-generation quilter who learned the tradition at age twelve by watching her mother and both grandmothers piece quilts from worn clothing and fabric scraps. As a child, she helped prepare needles by threading them while sitting under the quilting frame.

Ms. Emma continues the legacy of Gee’s Bend quilting while working as a public transportation driver with the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission. She is married to Melvin Pettway, and together they have four children. Dedicated to passing down the tradition, she has taught her children and is now teaching her grandchildren to quilt.