INTRODUCTION       

I first met Florence some fifteen years ago when she came into my quilt shop.  The Quilting Bee, in Los Altos, California.  She was buying countless yards of fabric to take back to the Indian women quiltmakers in Montana.  She would select wonderfully colorful prints and bright solid fabrics to give the women more variety in making their quilts.  She would never buy whole bolts of any one fabric.  As I was to lean later, no Indian artist would repeat exactly the same color use in more than one quilt.  Each quilt is unique.

Florence said to me back then. "These quilts aren't like the ones you have for sale.  They are very different."  I happened to respond by saying, "But Florence, this is Native American Indian folk art."

Years passed, and Florence continued to supply quite a few Indian women with fabric.  During her more than twenty years of visiting reservations, she has bought hundreds of quilts and has lectured about and exhibited them in major museums and universities in this country and abroad.  As a result of her efforts, numerous quilts now reside in private and corporate collections in the United States, France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.

A few years ago, while visiting with Florence, it occurred to me that it was time to put into print the story of her dedication to her Indian friends and the stories of their lives and their beautiful quilting.

So, it is with great pleasure that I present to you, Florence Pulford, a wonderful storyteller.  Very few have gained the trust and love these Plains Indian women as has Florence.  Some of the stories are joyous, some are harsh, all are true. ---Diana Leone