On Display at the Iowa Quilt Museum
Stitched Through Time: A History of Quilting
Current Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-5, Sundays 12-4
This exhibit features some stunning examples of historical quilts and will only be on display for 16 more days. So if you’ve been meaning to get here, don’t wait any longer! While we love showing you photos of the exhibit, the pictures really pale as a substitute for seeing the quilts in person.
The first quilt on the left is: Red & White Stars with Garden Maze Set loaned by Pat Holly and Sue Nickles. It was made circa 1880-1900 and is machine appliquéd and machine quilted. That’s right…MACHINE work in the late 19th century! Curator Judy Schwender chose this quilt for the exhibit because of it provides evidence of the impact that sewing machines had on quilting and provides evidence that that as soon as the sewing machine became available to home sewers in the 1840s they began to use them. Judy comments that, “women are smart: if something can save them time, they go for it!”
The second quilt in the picture (with the unique shape) is the oldest in this exhibit. It dates to around 1830 and is Old Italian Quilt Block loaned by Chris Moline. It was hand pieced and quilted of cottons and cotton chintz. The unique shape is because this quilt is intended for a four-poster bed—the cut-out corners alleviating the bunching around the bed posts that would happen with other coverings.
A little further down the wall is an example of one of the earlier quilt forms, the medallion style. This one was made circa 1840 and was loaned to us by Pilgrim/Roy. In the natural history of the quilt, medallion-style layouts came after the whole cloth quilt. Medallions have a center block or motif that is surrounded by consecutive borders, either pieced or of one fabric. You can see Judy talk more about this quilt in the following video.
Just just a little further and you can see the Trip Around the World quilt loaned by Chris Moline. This quilt was made in 1939 by the owner’s grandmother and is a classic Depression-era quilt made from the bright pastels of the time. Two colors were ubiquitous during the Depression: red violet and Nile green. In the United States, the fabric palette from 1890 to about 1920 included many monochromatic prints of navy blue, soldier blue (a medium dusty blue), black, red, or claret (a burgundy red) with white. The effect was a bit somber. The fabric palette changed swiftly and radically to the bright pastels seen in this quilt after World War I when Germany was forced to make their dye recipes available as part of war reparations.
Coming Soon to the Iowa Quilt Museum
A Fons & Porter Homecoming
October 1, 2019 through January 4, 2020
Special Events on October 3rd and 4th
In just over two weeks, we’ll open an exhibit honoring two of our hometown legends whose careers impacted the quilting world in a BIG way. In July, Marianne Fons & Liz Porter were inducted into The Quilters Hall of Fame and soon it will be our turn to acclaim their achievements through a display of their quilts in the town where they both started their quilting journeys.
We want YOU to be involved!
Bed Turning Quilts
If you have made a quilt using a Fons & Porter pattern, and would be willing to loan it to us for the duration of this exhibit for use on our bed turning display, please send a photo and a short description to our director, Megan Barrett (director@IowaQuiltMuseum.org). Quilts will then need to be shipped or delivered to the Iowa Quilt Museum to arrive no later than Thursday, September 26th.
Share your Stories
If you have a story or anecdote to share, or want to send a note of congratulations, we invite you to do so before Friday, September 20th. We’re particularly interested to hear how Liz & Marianne influenced your own quilting journey. Cards or letters can be mailed to the Iowa Quilt Museum, 68 E Court, Winterset, Iowa, 50273. They can also be emailed to director@IowaQuiltMuseum.org.
You’re Also Invited to the following events…
Gallery Walk • at the Iowa Quilt Museum
Join Liz & Marianne on a guided tour through their homecoming exhibit. The duo will share the stories behind the quilts and anecdotes about their making.
Thursday, October 3rd • 11:00am – Noon
Tickets – $10, includes admission to the museum
Our Love of Quilting • The Iowa Theater
On the stage at the Iowa Theater, one of Marianne’s post-LOQ projects, hear Liz & Marianne share some of the stories from their years teaching the world to quilt and what they’ve been up to since. Megan Barrett, director at the Iowa Quilt Museum, will lead the discussion and your questions are welcome.
Thursday, October 3rd • 4:00 – 5:00pm
Tickets – $15, includes a small popcorn with real butter!
Exhibit Opening Reception • Iowa Quilt Museum
Tour the exhibit, visit with Liz & Marianne and enjoy refreshments.
Thursday, October 3rd • 6:00 – 8:00pm
No Admission Charge
Brunch with Liz & Marianne • Iowa Quilt Museum
Join Marianne & Liz for brunch as they reminisce and share stories of how they built their business from two moms teaching quilting classes in Winterset to teaching across the country and publishing the most widely-circulated quilting magazine in the world.
Friday, October 4th • 11:00am
Tickets – $25, includes light brunch
Tickets for all events can be purchased through the Iowa Quilt Museum’s Website or at the door if space remains.
“Thank You” to our sponsors
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The Iowa QuiltScape
Sac County Quilt-A-Fair
September 21st & 22nd
Sac County Fairgrounds in Sac City
You’re invited to the Northwest quadrant of the state for a quilt show on September 21st and 22nd, 9:00 – 4:00 both days. Admission for one day is $8 or $12 for both days. This show, which will display over 300 quilts, will also feature vendors, demonstrators, scissor sharpening, a silent auction and a Quilt of Valor program. Quilt artist Mickey Dupree will present a lecture each day during the show.
Sac County also has a barn quilt trail that you might enjoy while you’re traveling to and fro, and Sac City is home to the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball, of all things.
We Color the World Quilt Show
September 26th – 28th
Cultural Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines
Show Hours: 9:00 to 6:00 on Thursday and Friday, 9:00 to 5:00 on Saturday
Iowa’s largest quilt show, sponsored by the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild, is set for Thursday through Saturday, September 26, 27, and 28. This, their 37th annual quilt show, will be held at a new location, the Cultural Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
“We Color the World” is the theme of this year’s show. The third floor of the Cultural Center will be filled with more than 400 quilts created by the group’s members. Dozens of vendors from several states will be displaying and selling their goods on the first and second floors, including our Gold Level Sponsors: APQS, Bernina-Woodside Quilting, Gruber’s Quilt Shop, Off the Rails Quilting, The Iowa Quilt Block, and The Woolen Needle. Several special exhibits will be on display, including a “We Color the World” collection of treasured quilts; a “Color Me with Wool” exhibit; and the President’s Challenge quilts.
Free demonstrations and quilt turnings will take place throughout the three-day event. A “Little Quilt Silent Auction” features numerous little quilts and treasures created by members. This year’s raffle offers not one, but two colorful member-created quilts. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $7 at the door. Shuttles will be available between the parking areas and the quilt show. The three floors of the Cultural Center will be fully accessible by two sets of elevators and several stairways. Find more information on the DMAQG website or follow Des Moines Area Quilters Guild on Facebook.
Travel the Iowa QuiltScape with Us!
Friday, October 18th
Trip to Kalona and Cedar Rapids
Join IQM director, Megan Barrett, on a trip through the Iowa QuiltScape. We’ll visit the Kalona Historical Village, and Frond Design Studios in Cedar Rapids (plus some shopping along the way!) and you won’t have to do the planning or driving!
While in Kalona, we’ll be treated to a guided tour of their two quilt rooms and get a behind-the-scenes look at the storage facilities where they store their 800+ quilts. We’ll also enjoy a hearty family-style lunch (included in the trip price) and have some time to explore the rest of the village, including the two quilt shops located there.
We’ll see part of the Washington County Barn Quilt Trail as we proceed to Frond Design Studios. Stephanie Brandenburg, owner of Frond, will help us explore both the showroom and the production facilities located in Cedar Rapids. We’ll end our Cedar Rapids time with dinner (on your own).
The price of the tour is $94 per person and IQM members get a 10% discount bringing the cost to just $85. Register with a friend and get a discount, too, just $180 for the two of you. The trip fee includes comfortable transportation, the tour and lunch at Kalona, snacks along the way, all gratuities, and quality time spent in the company of like-minded quilters! A portion of your registration cost also helps support the Iowa Quilt Museum enabling us to continue providing top-notch exhibits and programming.
The tour will depart from the Iowa Quilt Museum at 7:00 am and return at approximately 10:00 pm. The IQM will be open at 6:30 am for those early birds who would like to view the exhibit before departure, and will re-open for 30 minutes upon our return for the night owls. The exhibit at that time will be “A Fons & Porter Homecoming.”
Transportation type (motorcoach or vans) will depend upon number of registrations and will be determined about two weeks before the trip. Sign up through our website or call the museum at 515-462-5988.
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