Recap of June and the Iowa Quilt Festival
A Note from Director Melody Reels
This June marked my very first Iowa Quilt Festival from beginning to end—and what an experience it was! I’m proud to say we had a successful event, thanks to the incredible support of our board, committee, staff, and the generosity and flexibility of so many people.
A heartfelt thank you to Scott Flanagan, Sharon Wasteney, and Millie Kehrli, for their talent, time, and commitment throughout the week. We navigated unpredictable weather, last-minute changes, and the unfortunate absence of a couple of instructors—but we also celebrated some big wins: sold-out classes, increased participation from quilt guilds in the Airing of the Quilts, and meaningful community connections all around. I also want to extend my gratitude to Tony Jacobson for his teaching and lecturing contributions to the Festival. His Mystery Quilt class has been and continues to be a favorite among attendees—engaging, fun, and full of surprises—and we’re hopeful it will return next year. His lecture, “The Art of What If,” offered thoughtful insight into creativity and design, adding even more depth to the week. Both brought considerable value to the festival and helped round out our programming in meaningful ways.
A very special thank you to Susan Lapham, Niraja Lorenz, and Deb Cashatt for all that they gave during the week—from teaching a class together, to giving a lecture, hosting a gallery walk, joining a Facebook Live, and being part of a Saturday morning “Meet & Greet.” Their generosity, energy, and enthusiasm were felt throughout the festival, and we are so grateful for the time they shared with us and our visitors.
I personally learned so much throughout the festival, and we’re already excited to begin planning for 2026!
The momentum continued after the festival with a sold-out Barn Quilt Painting Class, and interest was so high we’ve added two more sessions in July.
It’s been a whirlwind month, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this community. Thank you for helping make my first full Festival one to remember.
2026 Iowa Quilt Festival
June 3 – June 6, 2026
Looking ahead to next year!
Classes, Lectures, Open Sew and Airing of the Quilts
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Iowa Quilt Festival
We’re already looking forward to the 2026 Iowa Quilt Festival, which will be an extra special celebration—marking the Iowa Quilt Museum’s 10-year anniversary!
One exciting change: our “Quilt Retreat” will become “Open Sew,” giving you the flexibility to join us for 1, 2, or 3 days during the week. This new format allows you to spend a day (or two!) attending a lecture or class while still enjoying plenty of sewing time.
While we’re not quite ready to announce it publicly, we already know what our exhibit will be—and we’re thrilled to be incorporating it into the festival plans.
Be sure to keep checking iowaquiltmuseum.org for updates as we continue preparing for this milestone celebration!
Barn Quilt Painting
Saturday July 19, and Sunday July 20, 2025
Barn Quilt Painting Class – A Full House!
We had a full class and a fantastic group of participants for our recent Barn Quilt Painting Class taught by the talented Debbie Simpson. From a married couple to a mother/daughter duo, a few sets of friends, and even someone who traveled all the way from Minneapolis—it was a wonderful day of creativity and community!
If you missed it, don’t worry—we’re offering two more classes on July 19 and 20, 2025. Spots will fill quickly, so be sure to sign up by clicking the button below.
If we have a a lot of interest for another class, we may add another class in August—stay tuned and be part of something truly special.
Interested? Sign up by clicking the button below:
More Space for Quilting Fun
We have a great space upstairs above the gallery with beautiful hardwood flooring and a terrific view of our historic courthouse. We want to house classes, retreats, and quilting camps in this awesome area, but electrical improvements must be made first. Among the needs are a second row of track lighting, pendant lights in the center, and electrical outlets for sewing machines, irons, and table lights. No quilting space would be complete without design wall set-up.
Help us make this dream into reality by clicking on the button below.
2025 Exhibits
April 22 through August 3 – Tiny Pieces, Vast Visions
Quilts by Deb Cashatt, Irene Roderick, Niraja Lorenz, and Susan Lapham were on display at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah last fall, and we are thrilled that their quilts are on display here in Iowa. The artists also participate in the 2025 Iowa Quilt Festival!
August 5 through November 30 – Mama’s Got the Blues: Nineteenth Century Indigo Quilts
We’re honored to be working with Julie Silber, respected quilt collector, dealer, and appraiser, to showcase her mother’s antique blue and white quilts
December 2, 2025 – April 15,2026 – Rebound, Renew, Reimagine
The Manhattan Modern Quilters’ Guild’s post-COVID exhibit will make a stop here in Iowa at the end of 2025. We were fortunate enough to have 40×40@40 displayed in 2021 and looking forward to displaying the guild’s amazing work again.
2025 Events
Look for continued updates on our website and social media about what we have to offer in the coming year
- 3rd Annual Share Your Stash Sale on November 8, 2025 – we are taking donations now for the upcoming year
- Stitch In at the Museum – every 2nd Thursday of the month.
- Save the date for 2026 Iowa Quilt Festival – join us Wednesday June 3 through Friday June 5 for an open sew, classes, & lectures. Then our big finale on Saturday June 6 for the Airing of the Quilts
Marianne’s Musings
Founding IQM Board Member Marianne Fons is a member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, a collection of over 70 professional writers and journalists. She writes a (mostly) weekly Substack column titled “Reporting from Quiltropolis.” (Quiltropolis = Winterset.) Check out Quiltropolis by clicking on the button below, and subscribe if you like.
