Sew & So...
Sew & So...
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Phyllis Elmore – Quilt of Souls and “Righting” Your Story
53 minutes Posted Aug 14, 2025 at 3:00 pm.
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In this moving episode of Sew & So, we welcome author, veteran, and storyteller Phyllis Elmore, whose extraordinary life journey is woven together by courage, memory, and fabric.
Phyllis is the author of Quilt of Souls, a deeply personal memoir that honors the often-unheard voices of Black women in America—caretakers, survivors, and unsung heroes—whose stories live on in the quilts they stitched. Raised in rural Alabama by her formidable grandmother Lula, Phyllis found healing and purpose in the patchwork of stories that surrounded her.
A trailblazer in the military, Phyllis was one of the first female Aircraft Pneudraulic Specialists in the U.S. Air Force and one of a few women to serve in three major military conflicts: Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom. She later became a counselor and advocate for incarcerated youth and survivors of domestic violence.
Phyllis shares how quilting, writing, and service have shaped her life—and why reclaiming and preserving our stories is one of the most powerful acts of healing.