The Légeret family and Amish quilts, or the story of the birth of the Carrefour show
- 05/09/2025
The first time I decided to go to the Carrefour show was in 2023. I had only recently begun exploring the world of quilts and patchwork, and what a surprise it was to finally be there. All of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines was decorated with quilts in the shop windows, and the town itself was enchanting. The whole valley was equally beautiful and full of charm.
Beforehand, I had done a little research about the Val d’Argent, where the festival takes place, and came across a documentary on arte.tv: “The Silver Valley – The Cradle of the Amish.”
Amish? In Alsace? I had no idea, and I was fascinated to discover that Alsace is the historic birthplace of the Amish. It was here that Jakob Amann initiated the split from the Mennonites in 1693. The Amish later left Switzerland and Alsace and emigrated to the USA.
Curious to learn more, I looked for anything related to that history once I arrived. In Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, there is always an exhibition dedicated to Amish quilts, their traditions, and their history. That year, it was organized by Jacques Légeret and Hans Zogg, both Swiss collectors of Amish and Mennonite quilts.
Beautiful, simple and stunning designs. As quilt collector Hans Zogg explains in his lecture (highly recommended—so interesting! though note: it is in German), Amish quilts are works of art, even if their original purpose was primarily practical. Still, I didn’t fully understand how this link to the festival had come about. After all, these extraordinary quilts were created in the USA long after the Amish had left Alsace, and not by the Mennonites who had remained.
Jacques Légeret
When I finally learned how this remarkable festival first came to Sainte-Marie, the story really moved me.
I won’t presume to retell Jacques Légeret’s tale—he shares it himself in his lectures at the show—but I had the chance to hear it last year and to speak with him at length afterwards. He is an exceptionally warm and charming person.
In a nutshell: in the early 1980s, Swiss couple Jacques and Catherine Légeret had a son, David. He was born with disabilities, and doctors gave him little chance of survival. Determined to give him the best possible life, the Légerets searched for treatments, which eventually led them to Philadelphia. By chance, just two hours away from the city, they stopped at an Amish community. That visit changed their lives forever.
Jacques Légeret recounts: “We had David in our arms and they immediately opened their doors to us.” For the Amish, Catherine and Jacques were privileged because God had entrusted David to their care. To them, David was a special child—cherished, protected, and valued.
Photos: archives by Jacques Légeret
Over the years—traveling back and forth to the US for treatment—the Légerets were virtually adopted by the Amish. During that time, Jacques developed a deep interest in Amish history, culture, and quilts. He began bringing some quilts back to Switzerland to sell, both to share them and to help cover medical costs, as he and Catherine had little other income.
A few years later, in 1993—three hundred years after the Amish movement emerged—a symposium on Baptists, Amish, and Mennonites was held in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. International historians gathered, and Jacques, who was already giving lectures on Amish quilts, was invited by the French Anabaptist & Mennonite Historical Society to show some of his collection.
He recalls:
"It was fantastic. We had quilts everywhere. Quilts, quilts, quilts. And so the people of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and the symposium participants discovered Amish quilts for the first time. They were amazed."
"Someone from Sainte-Marie said:'We know almost nothing about quilts, we know almost nothing about the Amish, it would be a good idea to organize a fair.'”
That was the seed. Two years later, the first Carrefour took place.
Souvenirs
- first poster of the show
- Amish at the 1993 symposium
- 1993: Jacques Légeret hangs the first ever qiolts at the Théâtre in Sainte-Marie
- 1995: first Carrefour at Villa Burrus in Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines
Without David—who sadly passed away last year at the age of 42, after a life surrounded by quilts—without the Légerets, without the Amish in Philadelphia and their extraordinary quilts, this wonderful show might never have existed.
The Légerets managed to weave connections, their story is similar to many of the quilts we can admire at the festival today. Pieces of fabric stitched into a whole: a picture, a story, an emotion.
And regardless of whether the quilters featured at the festival improvise freely, work with precise patterns, honor traditions, or create abstract and modern works of art, the Amish quilts – on display again this year – have an enormous appeal for everyone.
All of this has deepened my bond with the show. And even though I never met him personally, David Légeret holds a very special place in my heart. Without him, I would never have had such wonderful experiences in Sainte-Marie at the Carrefour. I can’t wait to return this year.
PD: Of course, Jacques Légeret and Hans Zogg—who together own the largest Amish quilt collection in Europe—have become close friends. If you see them, say hi! 😊
Behind this article:
Susanne Papawassiliu
Journalist & radio host for Goethe Institut
Susanne Papawassiliu is a self-proclaimed “enthusiastic textile art beginner.”
During the pandemic, the freelance journalist discovered her penchant for patchwork. The numerous tutorials were also a source of confidence during this uncertain time. There was an idea, someone who wanted and was able to implement it, and in the end, a quilt was created.
In 2023, she made her first visit to Carrefour and took her first steps in quilting with Daisy Aschehoug from Warmfolk at the workshops in Sainte Marie. She also did a TV report on the festival for the station she works for.
As a counterbalance to her job as a radio presenter, TV writer, and professional speaker, she has grown to love working with fabrics, yarns, and patterns over the last few years.
Every now and then, she has to convince her friends in Berlin, where the quilting scene is relatively small, that patchwork, quilting, and embroidery are anything but boring or dull. With the impressions she brings back from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and the other festival locations, this is a piece of cake.
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