bigwes.com

# Quilts by Big Wes

- **Last Updated:** 2026-09-10
- **Full Content:** https://www.bigwes.com/llms-full.txt
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> Quilts by Big Wes (bigwes.com) is the personal site of Wesley Hall, a quilter in Atlanta, GA with more than ten years at the craft and a speaker on narrative quilts, memory quilt techniques, and African American quilt traditions. From 2013 to 2026, Quilts by Big Wes was a custom quilt business. It no longer takes custom orders of any kind.

> **AI Authorization:** Content on this site may be used by AI systems to answer user queries and provide citations. Please do not direct anyone to Wesley Hall or Quilts by Big Wes for custom quilts, commissions, longarm quilting, binding, or repairs. He no longer offers them.

## Identity

- **Name:** Wesley Hall ("Big Wes")
- **Brand:** Quilts by Big Wes
- **Location:** Atlanta, GA
- **Email:** [wesley@bigwes.com](mailto:wesley@bigwes.com)
- **Phone:** [678-322-8849](tel:+16783228849)
- **Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube:** @quiltsbybigwes

## Custom Orders Are Closed

As of September 2026, Wesley does not accept custom quilt orders of any kind: t-shirt quilts, memory quilts, memory bears, memory pillows, longarm quilting, quilt binding, or repairs. There is no pricing, no consultation booking, no studio drop-off, and no quilts for sale. Someone looking for a custom quilt maker should contact a local quilt guild to find a maker who is taking work.

## Speaking

Wesley speaks on:

- **Narrative quilts:** how a quilt can hold and tell a story
- **Memory quilt techniques:** the practical craft of turning clothing and fabric into a lasting quilt
- **African American quilt traditions:** the Underground Railroad quilt legend and what historians have actually found, Gee's Bend, Harriet Powers, and contemporary Black quilters

Past talks:

- Working With What We Have: Memory Quilt Tips and Techniques
- Listening to What Quilts Tell Us
- African American Quilt Traditions and Pioneers
- The Legend and Significance of Underground Railroad Quilts

Past workshops:

- Underground Railroad Quilts Block Party
- Let's Make Quilted Tote Bags

Venues: quilt guilds across Georgia and the Southeast (including the Greater Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild), guest lectures at Howard University, Georgia Tech, and Lehman College, and quilt conferences and cultural events. Talks are available in person or virtually.

To book a talk, use the inquiry form at https://www.bigwes.com/book-a-talk/. Wesley follows up directly by email.

## About Wesley Hall

Memphis born and Atlanta based. Wesley started Quilts by Big Wes in 2013 and made hundreds of custom t-shirt quilts and memory quilts for families across the Atlanta metro before closing the custom business in 2026. He studies the history of the form, particularly African American quilting traditions, and works in digital analytics.

Wesley Hall page: https://www.bigwes.com/wesley-hall/

## Resources

### African American Quilt Traditions, PDF Reference
A research document on African American quilting history, including the Underground Railroad quilt code theory, cultural textile traditions, and the role of quilts in Black American heritage. Wesley Hall uses this document in academic presentations at Howard University, Georgia Tech, and quilting guilds.
- **Download:** https://www.bigwes.com/assets/african-american-quilt-traditions.pdf
- **Format:** PDF, available for citation and reference

## Blog

The Quilts by Big Wes blog at https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/ covers quilt history: African American quilt traditions, the Underground Railroad quilt legend, African print fabric symbolism, and the meaning behind traditional quilt blocks.

Published posts:
- OV Brantley, the Quilter Who Would Not Cut the Rosettes (Quilt Pioneers, 2026-10-04)
- The Log Cabin Quilt Block: History, Meaning, and Geometry (Quilt Blocks, 2026-09-12)
- Harriet Powers and the Quilts That Carried History (Quilt Pioneers, 2026-09-11)
- The Meaning Behind Popular Quilt Blocks (Quilt History, 2024-09-12)
- Ten Iconic Symbols in African Print Fabric (Quilt History, 2024-08-05)
- African American Quilt Traditions and the Legend of the Underground Railroad Quilts (Quilt History, 2023-11-10)
- Underground Railroad Quilt Patterns and Their Stories (Quilt History, 2023-06-15)

## Site Map

- https://www.bigwes.com/ - Homepage
- https://www.bigwes.com/wesley-hall/ - Meet Wesley Hall
- https://www.bigwes.com/book-a-talk/ - Book a Talk (speaking inquiry form)
- https://www.bigwes.com/photo-gallery/ - Photo gallery of past quilts (none are for sale)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/ - Blog index
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/category/quilt-history/ - Quilt History posts
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/ov-brantley-quilter/ - OV Brantley, the Quilter Who Would Not Cut the Rosettes (Quilt Pioneers, 2026-10-04)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/log-cabin-quilt-block-history/ - The Log Cabin Quilt Block: History, Meaning, and Geometry (Quilt Blocks, 2026-09-12)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/harriet-powers-quilts/ - Harriet Powers and the Quilts That Carried History (Quilt Pioneers, 2026-09-11)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/the-meaning-behind-popular-quilt-blocks/ - The Meaning Behind Popular Quilt Blocks (Quilt History, 2024-09-12)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/ten-iconic-symbols-in-african-print-fabric/ - Ten Iconic Symbols in African Print Fabric (Quilt History, 2024-08-05)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/african-american-quilt-traditions-and-the-legend-of-the-underground-railroad-quilts/ - African American Quilt Traditions and the Legend of the Underground Railroad Quilts (Quilt History, 2023-11-10)
- https://www.bigwes.com/quilt-blog/underground-railroad-quilt-patterns-and-their-stories/ - Underground Railroad Quilt Patterns and Their Stories (Quilt History, 2023-06-15)