New Documentary, 'Stitched,' Brings Controversial Quilting Legends Together

"Behind every stitch, there is a story..."

In Jena Moreno's new documentary, Stitched, we get an insider's view into the weird and wild world of...quilting. In an e-mail to HuffPost Arts, Moreno wrote, "I had always wanted to make a film. My husband was a TV news cameraman and I worked as a reporter." She continued, "I didn't want my film to have anything to do with what I covered -- international business, airlines and shipping. So that's how quilting became the subject of our first film."

In the film, we follow three famous (and arguably infamous) quilters as they get ready for the upcoming International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. This is the largest quilting festival in the country, mind you, with 50,000 quilters participating each year.

Hollis Chatelain, Caryl Bryer Fallert and Randall Cook each have a unique style, and each pushes the boundaries of traditional quilting, eschewing pastels and block designs for more colorful forms. For instance, Chatelain paints directly onto her quilts, while Randall Cook's quilted treasures present Adonis-like male nudes in motion. The irrepressible Cook says, "If this doesn't get accepted in Houston, I will be really distraught." Who will deny this man his day in the sun?

The stakes are high, and the competition is cut-throat. Don't let your view of old lady quilters cloud your vision, because "Stitched" reveals a new world of quilting that would cause your dear auntie to have a fit.

You can see "Stitched" at the Sedona Film Festival on February 24th and 25th, or in these cities in March.