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Welcome! I'm Sarah Atlee, Quilt Artist

I would love for you to read my newsletter, The Fold. I share stories about quilts, language, space-time, and other things that fold. If you enjoy it, please subscribe!

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The Fold: Record Levels, Redux

Record Levels: The A Sides, mixed media collages by Sarah Atlee, 2019 Greetings! For this issue of The Fold I wanted to share a little something from the archives. First, a quick reminder that Pieces & Patterns: Modern Oklahoma Textiles has an opening reception this Thursday! WHERE: 1400 Classen Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (Google Maps link) WHEN: The show is open now through December 18th, 2025. OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday 25 September 2025, 5:30-7:30 pm. The reception is free and open to...
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The Fold: Fall Quilt Shows

Hi friends! This edition of The Fold is about two shows that I'm in this fall. If you're not in the Oklahoma City area, and don't plan to travel here, feel free to skip this issue and tune in next time. xoxo Pieces & Patterns: Modern Oklahoma Textiles Click here for a preview of this exhibition at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. WHERE: 1400 Classen Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (Google Maps link) WHEN: Open now through December 18th, 2025 OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday 25 September 2025, 5:30-7:30...
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Detail view of Boho Baby. This view shows one of the central squares surrounded by strips of increasing length. Both machine stitches and hand stitches are visible.

The Fold: Baby, Baby, Baby

Hi there! You've made it to The Fold. Grab yourself a hot cuppa, and pull up a chair. There's always room at this table. For new friends: Welcome! I'm so glad you're visiting. The Fold is a place where I talk about quilting and adjacent art forms, cool words, weird dreams, good books, tasty foods, and whatever has captured my attention lately. It's a mix of my own work and others'. If it sounds vague, that's on purpose. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. If this isn't your cup of tea, no...
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Acrylic painting by Sarah Atlee of a man's head above the surface of the water in a swimming pool. The upper portion is an abstracted version of floor tiles and lane lines. In the lower right a man's head comes just above the surface of the blue water. Th

The Fold: Keeping Cool

The Fold: Keeping Cool Submerge, acrylic on canvas, 2009 by Sarah Atlee. Remember like 3 months ago when I said I was taking a short break? Yeah, ha, ha haaa ha ha ha. Ha. Summer 2025 has felt like this: Not at all polite. I didn't even realize it until I'd been hit by the Hammer of July so I couldn't turn it into a swan dive. Anyway, we're here now. Let's talk about falling into holes on purpose. I believe this work is by Alex Dodge but was unable to verify it. Wet Palette: Swimming Pool Art...
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Medieval-era illustration showing a procesion of figures across a wooden bridge which has broken. More people are seen in the water below the bridge. Click image to view source on Wikimedia Commons.

The Fold: A Musical Mystery, Solved

A Musical Mystery, Solved. When I was six, my favorite songs were Grandma’s Feather Bed by John Denver and …something else. I didn’t know the title. I knew it was the first song on the second side of a gray cassette tape* that I “borrowed” from my Dad. Dad listened almost exclusively to classical music. This album was older than typical classical music. It was the kind of thing that today we’d call Early Music. I think it was actually performed with period instruments, which for me, was part...
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Digitally enhanced photo of a while pillowcase with red stitching all over. There are dots, lines, Vs, Xs, and other repetetive stitches.

The Fold: Micro Languages

A work in progress, tentatively titled Red Map. The Fold: Micro Languages I love a language that’s just for a few people. Whether it’s a code, jargon, slang, or just a loose agreement among friends, I like hearing it poking into everyday life. Here are some language-related tidbits that have delighted me recently. I was watching the highly bingeable new Hulu series A Thousand Blows. It’s a historical drama about the Forty Elephants, an all-female gang that terrorized London in the late 19th...
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Off-kilter photo of a copy of Alice's Restaurant Cookbook by Alice May Brock published in 1969. In the cover photo, Alice is wearing a black tophat with lilac blossoms and holding several raw, plucked chickens and larger bones. Below the photo, text reads

The Fold: Connective Tissue, Part 2

Connective Tissue: What gets passed across generations Read Part 1 here. In this Issue: 2 Kickstarters to Watch Nina Simone on an artist’s responsibility Remembering Alice May Brock Remembering Jules Feiffer Lately I’m Enjoying… A GIF For Those Who Read This Far If you enjoy affirmation/tarot/oracle decks, I have two beautiful, artist-made projects for your consideration: Karina Hagelin: The Survivor's Affirmation Deck Each colorful card in the Survivor Affirmation Deck features an...
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Photo of the small patchwork quilt titled Self Love 1: Horizons Continue Broadening, created by Sarah Atlee. This abstract quilt features fabrics that are pink, purple, orange, green, maroon, brown, and black. The quilt has an irregular rectangle shape. W

The Fold: I <3 Libraries

In this issue: Women’s History Month show @ Downtown OKC Library Why libraries matter and how we can help Alternatives to Amazon Libraries of Things Tiny Libraries That Time Winnie-the-Pooh Went to Rehab A Video For Those Who Read This Far Above: 2012 photo of the interior of Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart, housed at the Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz as of 2011. Photo by Flickr user Schub@ The Women's History Month Art Show Self Love 1: Horizons Continue Broadening. Reclaimed garments and...
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Close-up photo of a drawing in Sarah Atlee’s sketchbook. This drawing includes some chunky abstract flowers rendered using ink, colored pencil, and watercolor. there are many rows of short, repeating marks. The colors include red, yellow, orange, pink, pu

The Fold: Connective Tissue, Part 1

Connective Tissue What gets passed across generations In this issue: I did a livestream! History repeats itself at the car wash How Faith Ringgold cleared a path Lately I’m enjoying… I did a live stream! For the first time in a hot minute, I did a live stream on Twitch (mainly to test some equipment). In this stream, I’m doodling in my sketchbook, using colored pencils, ink, and watercolor. Adding layers to a drawing is something I can really do for hours. I don’t talk much. Click here to...
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