Delia Pettway Thibodeaux

Delia Thibodeaux at the Airing of the Quilts Festival, 2025

Delia Pettway Thibodeaux is a third-generation quilter born and raised in Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Named after her grandmother, Delia Bennett, she grew up on a working farm as the eighth of ten children. The resourcefulness and perseverance she learned there continue to shape her life and her quilting.

Delia learned to quilt from her mother and older sisters. At thirteen, she made her first quilt, a two-tone brown corduroy “Bricklayer” that kept her warm at night. Fabric was scarce, and every scrap mattered. She continues that practice today, piecing together what she has and finding beauty in materials that might otherwise be discarded.

At seventeen, Delia joined the U.S. Navy, beginning a military career that spanned more than two decades and took her far beyond Gee’s Bend. Through frequent moves, she never stopped sewing, packing and unpacking her quilt pieces with each new assignment. The places she lived and the experiences she gathered continue to influence her work.

Inspired by nature, her travels, and especially her older sister Stella, Delia allows each quilt to take shape as she works. The finished piece often surprises her, becoming what she calls,

 "An imperfectly perfect creation".

She has passed her love of quilting on to her daughter and granddaughter. Watching her granddaughter piece together small creations brings her particular joy, carrying the family tradition into another generation.

Delia describes her approach through a Marine Corps motto: “Improvise, adapt and overcome.” As she puts it, “I don’t let things stand in my way, and I make the best with what I have.”

Click Here for available works by Delia Pettway Thibodeaux.