Mini Quilts
In January 2026, I was heartbroken by the news coming out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. First, the murder of queer mom Renee Good, then ICU nurse Alex Pretti. I'm a queer mom myself, raising the next generation of those who feel called to protect the most vulnerable among us.
Sitting down to make these tiny quilts became a way to pray and sort through feelings of grief and helplessness, mirrored in the form the final compositions took. Indeed, the blankets I was making would never be large enough to cover or comfort anyone.
The practice of an improvised approach to assembly connected me to "radical imperfection" — a tough thing for a designer whose native workflow has been firmly rooted in the digital space for decades. Here, I worked with mistakes instead of undoing them. Constraining myself to scraps of vintage or upcycled fabric collected from the Old Stone Mill in Adams, MA, or items I already had on hand from other projects, I sometimes let the shape of a scrap define the composition. I'd "kill my darlings" regularly, slashing through one quilt just to attach it to another like a chance operation, just to see how it would shift.
Now I have all these weird little "worry blankets" littering my house. Are they patches? Tiny wall hangings? Soft fidget toys? It depends on what kind of home or purpose they will find. In March, I'm auctioning off a selection of mini quilts on my personal Instagram feed, hoping to raise a little money to pay my bills AND to help neighbors pay their bills by donating a portion of total sales to Hive Aid, a community-powered mutual aid fund organized by Savvy Hive in North Adams, MA.
Jenny Bergman is a Graphic Designer, Photographer, and Multidisciplinary Artist
Sometimes credited as The Secret Bureau of Art + Design, Jenny specializes in creative direction for independent music, brand development for small businesses and non-profits. As a Creativity Coach, Jenny meets 1-on-1 with individual artists, produces and programs retreats, and speaks publicly about the intersection of creativity, mental health, and neurodiversity.
Creative Direction + Consultation
Album Art + Music Packaging
Poster Design
Logo Design + Brand Systems
Fine Art + Commercial Photography
Website Design
1-on-1 Creativity Coaching + Consulting
Event Programming + Production