(upbeat groovy music) - [Dara] To her, it's rhythmic, almost like breathing.

In and out of the fabric, she weaves her needle in yellow thread, one color out of the 100 different options she has in her stash.

- [Linda] I do get lost in the process.

I really do enjoy it.

I find it very relaxing.

- [Dara] Stitch by stitch, quilting transports 73-year-old Linda Keene to a place of peace, even losing track of time.

- You know, sometimes I will go upstairs and I might be up there working for seven or eight hours.

- [Dara] On average, one quilt takes a couple yards of cotton fabric and a month to finish.

But these aren't bed quilts, they're called art quilts, which means they're made to be framed and each has a different story to tell.

Some capture Sunday morning moments with choir members dressed in purple robes on their way to church.

Some celebrate life accomplishments like graduating from college and others pay homage to pass musicians.

- I tend to do scenes that are fun or nostalgic or warm.

I don't do anything that makes me feel sad.

There's enough that's really sad and horrible out in the world.

I don't need to have that as my creative product.

- [Dara] What you'll also notice about the pieces, in addition to the various textures and vibrant colors, is they showcase the lives of African Americans.

- I love the fact that it reflects our heritage and show who we really are in so many different facets.

- [Dara] As the thread connects each bit of fabric, Linda connects to the spirit of her grandmother, the one who taught her how to quilt.

- I always remember her hands were always busy.

She'd be cutting squares of cloth up or she'd be sewing them together by hand and it was just that idea that you are never idle that was something that I always thought was very meaningful.

- [Dara] And this tradition goes beyond Linda's family.

According to historians, during slavery, African American women would quilt on plantations a skill that survived generations.

- In our family, we had a lot of quilts that they made.

They were useful quilts, they weren't art quilts, they were, you know, bed coverings.

But it was something to do that was very practical and it was also beautiful at the same time.

I didn't appreciate it at the time as an art form.

- [Dara] If you were to ask the native New Yorker fresh out of Boston University in 1973, if quilting would be her path right now, she would've told you no.

- I didn't even know of any African American artists until I went to college.

Never occurred to me that it was something that I would do as anything more than a hobby.

- [Dara] But in 2017, after decades of working in the corporate world, the retiree decided it was time to do something that gave her a sense of fulfillment again, without having to be in the office.

- It's just been a joy seeing her, finding something else that really keeps her focus and things that she can do to keep her embedded in the community.

- [Dara] As they flip through the scrapbook that holds pictures of their life together over the past 50 years, it reminds Robert of why he fell in love with the young, ambitious Linda all those years ago at Boston University.

- I think I knew she was the one the first time I met her, 'cause there was just something about her, the way she carried herself.

She was really, I think in the back of my mind, the kind of a woman that I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

- Aside from the love they share for one another, they have a shared love for art.

Throughout their home, you'll find masterpieces they've been collecting since the 90s on every single wall.

So Linda, I know that this piece has a lot of significance and meaning to you and your husband.

Why is that?

- Well, the piece is called "Going to church" and it's by an artist named William Toliver and he was the first black artist whose work we collected and we just loved the subject matter and we also loved the seed.

Can we stop 'em?

Alright.

- [Dara] When the Keenes aren't admiring art, they like to have a little fun playing cards and catching up with some of their old college friends.

- Just really happy to celebrate with Linda the art interest that she's pursued and the wonderful exposure that she's gotten here in the southeast.

We're really excited to see her success.

- [Dara] And in the midst of Linda's sewing black history together for others... - Spent many days sitting outside in the freezing cold watching him play football and now I have a grandson, my oldest grandson, who's a big time basketball player.

So it's all an echo of those times, so... - [Dara] She finds new ways to cherish the history being made within her own family.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Dara Khaalid.