Based in Aurora, Illinois, Teresa Fiehn Millies is a conceptual quilt artist and writer whose work explores themes of transformation, identity, process, and creative practice. She works primarily with second hand materials, bridging freeform color and shape with traditional motifs. She is the author of the Quilter’s Inspiration Deck, published by C&T Publishing. Her quilts have been exhibited at QuiltCon 2024 and AQS QuiltWeek in Paducah 2023. Teresa currently teaches quilting at the College of Dupage in Warrenville, IL.

Person with short pink hair smiling against a brick wall, wearing a dark sweater.

Hi friends!

Artist Statement

Sewing kit with colorful pin cushion, needle thread, thimble, and scissors on a patterned quilt.
Colorful patchwork quilt with various geometric patterns and bright colors on a dark background.

I am a conceptual process and transformation artist that uses quilting as inquiry into the esoteric sacred meanings in daily life. The process is the concept.  The concept is the process. Creating is a meditative act that connects me to something deeper and brings what's beneath the surface to the light to be held and transformed. My work centers on self-exploration and acceptance of change and pain.

I work with second hand fabric and thrifted materials to create designs rooted in traditional patterns and motifs. When we stitch we are connecting to the our lineage of women and queer quilter’s stories that are inherent in needlework. I am to always honor the rich legacy of skill, resourcefulness, activism.

I explore themes of identity and belonging, always chasing the freedom to create for myself on my own terms. I want my work to feel both familiar and dissonant, to stir something just beneath the surface. I make to understand what I don't yet have words for, and to invite that same shift in others. At its core, my work is about uncovering universal truths about our Self, our mortality and transformation.