Apprenticeship Description
Payne started the apprenticeship by teaching Tysinger how to create a simple, geometric nine-patch quilt pattern. Working with such a basic pattern allowed Tysinger to practice and perfect measuring, cutting and stitching using straight-edged blocks, while also having the opportunity to play and experiment with color. Payne focused on teaching Tysinger the rules of quilting, giving her a solid understanding of techniques. This enabled her to freely experiment with colors and patterns helping her discover what appealed to her aesthetically.

Master Biography
As is true of many quilters, Barbara Payne learned to quilt from her mother and other family members, who showed her how to quilt with recycled fabric, a method she employs in her work to this day. Her work has been featured in quilt exhibits and in several publications, including the national exhibit (and subsequent book) Quilting African American Women’s History: OurChallenges, Creativity, and Champions, at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio (2008), and Unraveling the Stories: Quilts as a Reflection of Our Lives a documentary accompanying the 2008 exhibit that focused on the messages and creators of the quilts in the show. Payne is also active in her community as one of the founding members of the African Parish House Quilters (Hebron Baptist Church, Columbus, Ohio) where she promotes African-American history and the art of quilting.

Apprentice Biography
Phyllis Tysinger, Barbara Payne’s niece, had a desire to learn the art of quilting in order to continue a family tradition and one day pass her skills on to her own daughter. As an African-American woman, she believes quilting is an important part of her heritage. Tysinger is particularly interested in improvisational quilting, a method used frequently by Southern and Northern African-American quilters.