Rosie Lee Tompkins prayed for loved ones as she pieced together colorful bits of fabrics into elaborate patchworks. For Tompkins, sewing the quilt tops was part of her ongoing conversation with God.

What do you think of when you see a quilt? A practical object? A work of art? A treasured family heirloom? Quilts, more so than many objects, have managed to bring all of these identities together.