Georgia Bonesteel

Georgia Anne Bonesteel (née Jinkinson; born July 21, 1936)

Early life and career Bonesteel was born Georgia Anne Jinkinson in Sioux City, Iowa, to Earl Jinkinson, a lawyer, and his wife Virginia. She has a sister, Jill Moore. She learned to sew by watching her mother, who sewed in order to save money on clothes. receiving a bachelor's degree in home economics from Northwestern. In 1969, Bonesteel won an audition with Sears & Roebuck to appear on the TV show Sewing is Fun. In 1972, Bonesteel moved to Flat Rock, Henderson County, North Carolina with her family, where she began working at Connemara Farms, part of the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. At Connemara, Bonesteel worked in Sandburg's upstairs workroom. While working there, she got the idea of making a quilt to serve as a backdrop for presentations there.

In 1982, Bonesteel opened a quilt store in the corner of Bonesteel's Hardware and Gifts, a hardware store in Hendersonville, North Carolina run by her husband. In 1985, she was one of five judges at that year's Woodlawn Needlework Exhibition at Woodlawn Plantation. In 2005, with her son Paul, Bonesteel produced the documentary The Great American Quilt Revival. She has served as president of the International Quilt Association and was the founding president of the Western North Carolina Quilters Guild.

Television career In 1978, Bonesteel first approached UNC-TV with the idea for Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel. The first six segments of the show first aired in 1980. In total, Bonesteel has hosted various television programs about quilting for 27 years. In 2001, she received the Silver Star Salute at Quilt Festival. In 2002, she received the Bernina Leadership Award. In 2003, she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame.

Personal life Bonesteel met her husband, Peter Bonesteel, while living in the northern suburbs of Chicago working at Marshall Field's. As of 2008, they have three children and eight grandchildren. She remained married to Peter Bonesteel until his death in 2024.