02 Feb Stitching Stories: The Textile World of Jenna Pynn

Jenna Pynn’s work brings together artistry, invention, and generosity through a lifelong devotion to textile arts. The founder of Calico and Old Lace, she has built a creative practice spanning nearly four decades, producing quilted clothing, free-motion embroidery, dye-painted landscapes, and narrative quilts rich with history and meaning. By profession, Jenna is a psychiatric nurse. By calling, she is a maker who stitches stories into cloth.

Her journey began in 1986 when she learned free-motion quilting from artist Nancy Moore. From there, Jenna pushed traditional boundaries, experimenting with quilted clothing and introducing satin into her designs. This exploration led to the creation of bridal gowns and Civil War reenactment pieces and earned her early recognition, including a first-place award for a garden-inspired coat. After the economic crash of 2009, she stepped away from the craft show circuit and shifted her focus toward deeper experimentation with dye painting, intricate appliqué, and storytelling quilts.

What sets Jenna apart is her willingness to follow inspiration wherever it leads. Nature, memory, dreams, and fleeting moments all find their way into her work. Her quilt The Bicycle celebrates 100 years of the Blue Ridge Parkway, using reverse appliqué and layered embellishment to depict a tricycle moving through a textured landscape. A suffragette quilt, rarely shown due to the pandemic, features 25 individual panels that trace the long path to women’s voting rights. Other pieces emerge from literal dreams or from small, everyday encounters, such as a roadside flower or a bear raiding her bird feeder.

Jenna’s creative process is deeply emotional and restorative. Quilting helps her recover from the intensity of her hospital work, and her studio serves as a place of calm and reconnection. Most of her creations are given as gifts, made not for profit but for what she calls the love of the quilt. She believes a quilt is not complete until it has been used, cherished, and lived with.

Jenna has been involved with Round the Mountain since its early days and recognizes the organization’s roots in the artisan trail network. While she considers herself more maker than marketer and is happiest at her machines rather than behind a booth, she values the exposure and support RTM provides. Her advice to other artists reflects both humility and resolve. Stick with your dreams. Even if no one else cares, you care. And for the love of the quilts, keep going.