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Broadway Icon Harvey Fierstein Discovers Quilting Passion in Retirement
20 Oct
Summary
- 73-year-old Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein has embraced quilting as his new creative outlet
- Fierstein has created over 250 quilts, drawing inspiration from personal experiences and dreams
- Fierstein's quilts have gained recognition, with a recent sold-out exhibition showcasing his work
In the fall of 2025, 73-year-old Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein has embraced a new creative outlet: quilting. After decades of success on the stage, Fierstein has turned his attention to the art of textile design, creating over 250 unique quilts in his Connecticut studio.
Fierstein's quilting journey began in 2009 when he decided to try his hand at the craft, inspired by his love for the HGTV show "Simply Quilts." Since then, his passion for quilting has only grown, with the artist using his industrial-size Gammill long-arm quilting machine to doodle intricate patterns and designs directly onto dyed velveteen fabric.
Fierstein's quilts often draw inspiration from his personal experiences and dreams. A recent quilt honoring a bright moon and its phases was created just days after Fierstein noticed the "incredible moon" the previous week. Another quilt was inspired by a dream about "trees fucking." Fierstein's quilts also celebrate his love for drag culture, with detailed depictions of iconic performers like Bianca Del Rio and Leigh Bowery.
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In the summer of 2025, Fierstein decided to share his quilting passion with the world, reaching out to local museums to host an exhibition of his work. The Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center in Ridgefield, Connecticut, was quick to accommodate, and the show, titled "'You Made That?': The Quilting Adventures of Harvey Fierstein," was a resounding success, practically selling out. Fierstein's former collaborators, as well as members of his online quilting community, attended the exhibition, leaving the artist with two full autograph books of compliments.
As Fierstein continues to explore his newfound quilting passion, he has found that the craft has become a way for him to process the events of his life, creating quilts to commemorate the passing of close friends and to express his political views, such as an "Anti-Trump Quilt" depicting skeletons Sieg-heiling against a backdrop of yellow stars and pink triangles.
