There’s something about the impending arrival of fall that sparks the thought of quilts! In this issue of Iowa QuiltScape, we bring you a HUGE variety of events of which you can take advantage this fall – many of them in Winterset at the Iowa Quilt Museum and others around the state!
Blue Ribbon Quilts of the Iowa State Fair
On exhibit through October 14th at the IQM in Winterset
Thirty quilts, all of which are Blue Ribbon Winners from previous years at the Iowa State Fair, are on display in this amazing exhibit celebrating the rich tradition of quilts at the Iowa State Fair and curated by Virginia Berger of Adel, Iowa. Quilts have arrived from around the state for this exhibit—the oldest was entered in the 1986 fair (back when quilts were still exhibited under the grandstand) and the newest, in 2017.
The exhibit features quilts by the following Iowans:
Abbie Allen, Grimes
JoAnn Allen, Winterset
Kellie Belden, Madrid
Helen Birchard, Whiting
Cindy Bortell, Winterset
Marty Freed, Des Moines
Anita Gogerty, Norwalk
Marcia Handsaker, Nevada
Martha Henrichs, Des Moines
Deb Kimball, Clive
Martha Klatt, Adel
Serena Linn, Des Moines
Carolyn Magnani, Johnston
Sharon Meisenheimer, Des Moines
Lynne Ott, Webster City
Randall Parkin, Earlham
Teresa Peterson-Smith, Boone
Anna Pilcher, Norwalk
Janet Rabe, Ottumwa
Bonnabelle Rayner, Lone Tree
Tricia Snyder, Waukee
Laura Stephens, Marshalltown
Sherri Street, Runnells
Peggy Vespestad, Maxwell
Helene Viall, Des Moines
Sharon Wasteney, Hannibal, MO
Tamara Watts-McPhail, Des Moines
Betty Whitson, Ottumwa
Phyllis Zylstra, Pella
At Home with Marianne Fons, Quilting Escapes Retreat
September 13 – 15 in Winterset
Winterset, Iowa, the town where Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting was born, will be host to an unprecedented quilt retreat. And you’re invited! In no time at all, you’ll fall under the spell of Winterset’s unique charms. And you’ll learn a new thing or two about quilting, too! Spend your days piecing new projects in the company of friends, old and new. This exclusive quiltmaking experience with Marianne Fons and Love of Quilting alum, Diane Tomlinson, will be an unforgettable retreat you won’t want to miss.
During these three memorable days, you will enjoy:
• Two plus days of quiltmaking tips, tutorials, advice, and guidance from Marianne Fons & Diane Tomlinson
• Two exclusive kits to make during the retreat: Marianne’s full-size quilt and Diane’s dynamic table runner
• A ticket and VIP seating to a very special event: “Ask Me Anything”, where you will have the opportunity to ask Marianne Fons, Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Paula Nadelstern questions about the quilting life (refreshments included, of course!)
• A personal tour of the Iowa Quilt Museum
• Trunk Show with Linzee McCray, designer of the Moda fabric line that inspired Marianne’s retreat quilt
• A Trunk Show with Tony Jacobson, prolific, creative local designer and quiltmaker
• Local cuisine, including fresh farm-to-table meals, special treats, locally roasted coffee and local wine (really!)
• And much, much more!
Learn more and get registered HERE.
Harvest of Quilts Show
September 14 & 15 in Clarinda
The Scrap Happy Quilt Guild of Clarinda will host a quilt show on Friday, September 14th, from 4:00 to 7:00pm and on Saturday, September 15th, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is $3 for ages 10 and older. There will be a bed turning with stories about the quilts, a tea room with beverages and desserts, and a boutique with quilted items for sale. Over 150 quilts will be on display. Tickets can be purchased to win a Christmas quilt which will be given away at the end of the day. The quilt show will be held at First United Methodist Church, 923 West State Street, Clarinda, Iowa.
Trunk Show with Linzee McCray
Friday, September 14th, 2018, 7:00 pm
Enjoy a stroll through the Iowa Quilt Museum to take in the current exhibit, Blue Ribbon Quilts of the Iowa State Fair, plus desserts, a Madison County wine tasting and a Trunk Show by Linzee McCray!
Linzee Kull McCray is a freelance writer and author with a focus on textile-, craft-, and art-related topics. She writes profiles and features for magazines and blogs, including American Patchwork and Quilting, UPPERCASE, Modern Patchwork, and Moda Fabric’s Cutting Table blog, and is the author of Art Quilts of the Midwest (University of Iowa Press, 2015) and Feed Sacks: The Colourful History of a Frugal Fabric (UPPERCASE, 2016).
She designs feed-sack inspired fabrics for Moda—her first line, Feed Sacks: True Blue, debuted in stores in April, 2017—and designs quilts under the name Clark Street Quilts with her business partner Pam Ehrhardt. Linzee grew up in California and now resides in Iowa.
This event is a part of the At Home with Marianne Fons Retreat mentioned above but is also open to the public. Purchase tickets in advance ($15) through this link. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Restorative Sunset Yoga
Thursday, September 20th, 5:30 pm
Head to the tranquility of the Iowa Quilt Museum for restorative yoga led by IQM board member and yoga instructor Deb Ohrn. Use this time to energize your body, and rejuvenate your spirit. The evening will conclude with chocolate and a tasting of Madison County wines!
Class fee is $20 and class size is limited to 20. Purchase tickets in advance or at the door if available.
Great River Quilt Show
Friday & Saturday, September 21st & 22nd in Davenport
The Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild will present their 2018 Great River Quilt Show on September 21st and 22nd at the Mississippi Valley Fair Grounds in the Fair Center Building. The show will run from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Friday and 9:00 am – 4:00 pm on Saturday. Admission is $7 for a single day or $10 for a two-day pass. Children 10 and under are free. The building is handicap accessible, there’s plenty of free parking and buses are welcome. The Great River Quilt Show will feature:
- Over 400 quilts
- Judged Quilt Show
- Merchants Mall
- Small Quilts Auctions – 2 p.m. Friday & 1 p.m. Saturday
- Raffle Quilt
- Gift Baskets Raffle
- Second Hand Treasures
- Quilting Demos
- Quilt Appraisals (by appointment)
- Featured Quilter Dona and Gary Lanman
Pieced Together Documentary Screening
Tuesday, September 25th, 6:30 pm
at the Iowa Theater in Winterset
Donna Sue Groves wanted to pretty up an old barn for her mother, a quilter, by hanging a wooden square painted like a quilt block. The idea sparked a grassroots phenomenon known as “Barn Quilt Trails”…and created a cross-country community that has helped Donna Sue piece together her life after job loss and cancer.
Pieced Together: A Feature Documentary about how one woman’s love for her mother changed the American landscape – and saved her life. At this special screening, filmmaker Julianne Donofrio will share a presentation about the creation of the film.
Tickets are $15 and can purchased in advance using this link or at the door if seats are still available. Proceeds from this event benefit the Iowa Quilt Museum and the Madison County Bras for the Cause organization that helps provide mammograms for uninsured and underinsured Iowans.
DMAQG “Watch us Shine” Quilt Show
September 27 – 29 in Des Moines
The Des Moines Area Quilt Guild will present a quilt show Thursday through Saturday, September 27, 28 & 29 in the 4-H Building on the Iowa State Fair Grounds in Des Moines. Show hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Thursday and Friday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday. There will be around 600 quilts on display in various categories, including appliqué, pieced, miniature, mixed technique, modern, hand or machine quilted, and wool. There are about 40 confirmed vendors filling nearly half of the 4-H Building. There will also be classes, presentations, and much more! You can find a full listing of what will be available at this show on the DMAQG website.
Iowa State Fair Panel Discussion
Saturday, September 29th, 2:00 pm
Iowa State Fair Board Member, Jerry Parkin, and Superintendent of Fabrics & Threads, Dorothy Faidley, will share stories about the Iowa State Fair drawn from their years of experience at the fair. Jerry will cover Iowa State Fair history and Dorothy will speak specifically to the history and inner-workings of the Fabrics and Threads department.
This event is free with the price of admission to the Iowa Quilt Museum – $6 for adults, $4 for children, FREE for members. (Members, email director@iowaquiltmuseum.org to reserve your seat.)
Covered Bridge Quilters’ Annual Quilt Show
Saturday and Sunday, October 13 & 14 in Winterset
The annual Covered Bridge Quilters Guild Quilt Show is held each year in conjunction with the Covered Bridge Festival. Held in the Winterset Elementary School Gymnasium, this show features racks of expertly designed, pieced, and stitched creations hanging on display in all their glory for visitors to admire. Quilts of Valor quilts made for service men and women who have served our country in any capacity, as well as a selection of baby quilts made for the NICU at Mercy Hospital and Blank Children’s Hospital will also be on display. Visitors may also purchase a number of ready-made quilted items from the Quilt Boutique, or used quilting supplies and fabric at the Garage Sale.
Thank you for reading Iowa QuiltScape.
Get out and enjoy some quilts!
Iowa QuiltScape is a feature of the Iowa Quilt Museum’s weekly e-newsletter, and will highlight quilting events happening all around the state. The goal of Iowa QuiltScape is to provide a central place for Iowa quilting organizations to share upcoming events and help quilters and quilter lovers across Iowa reach a broader audience.
If you have an event you would like to share via Iowa QuiltScape, send your information to Museum Director Megan Barrett: director@iowaquiltmuseum.org.
If you’re reading this but it didn’t come to your inbox, use the Email Signup form on the bottom of this page to make sure you’re on the list and don’t miss out on any Iowa QuiltScape news!
Linda M Schlenker
The state fair panel discussion has 2 different dates listedwhich one is it??
Megan Barrett
Linda, we’re so sorry and thank you for noticing that error. The presentation is SEPTEMBER 29th, at 2pm.