“It meant the world.” Tennessee Tech human ecology grad honors alma mater with one-of-a-kind quilt
Tennessee Tech alumna Aly Parks pictured with the quilt she made for the School of
Human Ecology, which will be displayed in the foyer of the school’s Oakley Hall quarters.
Photo by Abby Weeden.
Tennessee Tech University alumna Aly Parks may have finished her degree in only three
years, but the impact of her time on campus is now stitched seamlessly into the fabric
of her colorful life – and the fabric of a very special quilt.
Parks, a Kingston Springs native who graduated in 2024 with a degree in fashion merchandising,
has been sewing since the age of nine.
While still a Tech student, she parlayed her passion for sustainable fashion into
her own business, “Big Al Stuff,” in which she upcycles quilt textiles into clothing,
home goods and other wares.
“I use all secondhand materials,” said Parks. “I love sewing and creating things,
but I knew the fashion industry has also historically been a major polluter. So, I
don’t even throw away my sewing scraps. I’ll keep them in bins and use them as stuffing
in pillows.”
Over the years, Parks has made everything from jackets to pants, but her most meaningful
project came when Melinda Anderson, director of Tech’s School of Human Ecology – which
encompasses the fashion merchandising program – reached out to commission a quilt
for display on campus.
“When I got that email, I couldn’t believe it,” said Parks. “I had never felt so validated
as an artist.”
More than the fact that Parks’ former faculty leaders remembered and appreciated her
talent, Parks says she was touched by the offer of paid work from her alma mater.
“Somebody else seeing numerical value in my craft – not just appreciating it but wanting
to compensate me for that – it meant the world,” Parks said.
Parks immediately got to work on a custom quilt using secondhand fabrics and shrouded
in Tech’s signature colors of purple and gold.
Parks’ completed quilt, pictured on the front lawn of Oakley Hall, home to Tech’s
School of Human Ecology. Photo by Abby Weeden.
For the design, Parks chose blocks with symbols representing the various disciplines
that fall under the School of Human Ecology’s auspices. A mixing bowl, rolling pin
and spatula illustrate the school’s nutrition and dietetics concentration, while a
house represents its architecture and interior design concentration, toy blocks depict
the child life concentration and a mannequin represents the fashion merchandising
concentration, among other symbols.
“I saw this quilt as an incredible opportunity to use my skills to create a visual
story of the amazing work students from this school go on to do,” Parks explained.
“We are all so different across concentrations, yet so interwoven in our relationships
with people. I am honored to have created a piece of art that captures what we all
do at a quick glance.”
And the School of Human Ecology faculty members’ reaction to the finished product?
Parks calls it “priceless.”
“Dr. Anderson kept telling me ‘Thank you’ and I said ‘No, thank you. This has been
a privilege for me!’” Parks recalled. “They were just so excited, and it made me emotional.
I hadn’t seen them in almost a year at that point, so it was such a sweet moment.”
For Parks, the quilt was a chance to pay homage to a place that will always hold a
piece of her heart, thanks to faculty like Hannah Upole, associate professor of merchandising
and design, who Parks says was integral to her decision to enroll at Tech and whom
she praises as “such a big cheerleader for her students.”
Parks also credits Rena Wood, assistant professor of fiber art at Tech’s Appalachian
Center for Craft, for helping enhance her skills behind the sewing machine. “I don’t
think I would have the perfectionist eye for quilting if not for her,” Parks explained.
Sufficed to say, the affection that Parks feels for her university is mutual.
“It is incredible to see Aly chasing her passions and being successful as an artist
and an entrepreneur,” said Upole. “The quilt does a tremendous job of displaying Aly’s
creativity and technical skill, but it’s also a physical representation of following
your dreams. I know Aly is going to do amazing things in her career and am so fortunate
to have had the opportunity to see her growth as a student in fashion merchandising
and design.”
With the confidence of having completed this latest original work for a very satisfied
client, Parks has high hopes for the future.
“I’d love to help tell a musician’s story through a quilt,” said Parks. “My biggest
goal would be to make one for Kacey Musgraves. But really, I just want to keep telling
stories through my craft.”
Learn more about Parks’ work and shop her latest designs on Instagram at @bigalstuff.