In Winterset with the Iowa Quilt Museum
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.
The following two events are a part of the At Home with Marianne Fons Retreat and are also open to the public.
Ask me Anything
Live with Marianne Fons, Victoria Findlay Wolfe & Paula Nadelstern
Thursday, September 13, 4:00 pm
Enjoy a special night with some of the nation’s top quilt designers. Ask Me Anything is an evening where you get to ask Marianne Fons, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, and Paula Nadelstern your quilting questions! To have these three amazing women under the same roof, and right here in Iowa—Amazing! Tickets are $45 and can be purchased through this link. This event will be held at the Iowa Theater in Winterset.
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.
Seems Sew Fun Sampler Raffle
Drawing on Friday, September 21st
This row quilt, “Seems Sew Fun Sampler,” is being raffled for the benefit of the Iowa Quilt Museum. The quilt was designed and made by the legendary team of Marianne Fons and Liz Porter and was published in their 1999 “Basic Guide to Rotary Cut Quilts.” It measures 75″ x 93″. For just $2 you can have a chance to own a piece of Fons & Porter History. (Of course, the more tickets you buy the better your chances!) We’ll be drawing for a winner on the last day of summer, Friday, September 21st. Purchase tickets online or call the IQM at 515-462-5988.
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. Watch the trailer below!
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.
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 included 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.)
Blue Ribbon Quilts of the Iowa State Fair
On exhibit through October 14th at the IQM in Winterset
Don’t Forget – The Iowa Quilt Museum is celebrating Iowa Quilters and the rich tradition of the Iowa State Fair’s quilt judging through our current exhibit, Blue Ribbon Quilts of the Iowa State Fair. This exhibit is exploding with Iowa charm and talent! On display through Sunday, October 14th.
Around the State
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.
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.
Great River Quilt Show
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
Covered Bridge Quilters’ Annual Quilt Show
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.
“Our Quilted Neighborhood” Quilt Show
October 27th & 28th in Fort Dodge
The Fort Dodge Area Quilters will hold their 24th Biennial Quilt Show on Saturday, October 27th, 9:00 – 5:00, and Sunday, October 28th, 10:00 – 4:00. Over 300 quilted items will be on display at the Webster County Fairgrounds as well as vendors, a quilt raffle, silent auction, fabric dive, and Dave’s mobile sharpening service. Lunch will be available for $5. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for ages 7-12 or $10 for a two-day pass.
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.
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Lyn Rogers
I visited the Museum this past June. It was the highlight of my road trip from South Carolina to home in Washington State. I was able to stop at 15 shops thanks to a patient Husband! A lovely lady was working that day (filling in for her Daughter I believe) I so wish I lived closer so that I could visit often.