March 2023 Iowa Quiltscape
We have a new exhibit in the gallery called Timestamps featuring quilts by Ricky Tims over his 32-year career! The colors and shapes in Ricky’s quilts are a must see for all quilters. His quilts cross through many quilting genres including traditional, studio art, and modern.
As I absorb these quilts, I think about the quilting community and the impact of the quilters who came before us and the ones who come after us. The most rewarding part of working at the Iowa Quilt Museum is knowing that the museum honors, energizes, inspires, and invests in the quilting legacy of past, present and future quilters.
Carissa, Museum Director
Timestamps by Rick Tims
Ricky Tims started his quilting career while planning to make a shirt. When he walked into that fabric store in St. Louis his intention was to buy fabric for a western shirt to wear two-stepping. He soon realized that making a shirt was no easy task so on his way out of the store he spotted quilting books and thought maybe this was something he could tackle. Instead of leaving with shirt fabric, he left with quilting fabric. Little did he know where quilting was going to take him!
In our gallery are 36 quilts made by Ricky over his career spanning from 1991 – today. Ricky is known for his entertaining lectures and workshops as well as his love of color. This exhibit runs from now to June 18, 2023.
We Have a $20,000 Match To Your Donations!
Recently we’ve been sending emails about the legacy of quilting and how the Iowa Quilt Museum honors, energizes, builds, inspires, and invests in the legacy.
Every quilter knows that quilting is more than how big your fabric stash is—even though the building of one’s stash is fun. It’s even about more than making quilts. Quilting is a community. A community of people who pet fabric and dream of lights versus darks. When you meet a quilter it’s like this big world of topics just opened. We just have so much to share and say to one another. We even pay to sew together. I often compare retreats to the old quilting bee. It’s a modern way for quilters of all ages to come together and share their quilting skills, tidbits on life, and many laughs!
At the Museum, we unite quilters through a shared love of quilting. Through classes, retreats, exhibits, and hand stitching events, we give quilters multiple opportunities to feel inspired and to reenergize their passion for quilting. Without quilt museums—especially the Iowa Quilt Museum—who would continue to tell the stories of quilts and share these stories with our visitors? Sharing quilt stories makes the quilting community stronger and more valued.
If these words resonate with you, please take a minute to donate to our Honoring the Quilt Legacy Fundraiser so the museum can continue to inspire, energize, build, and invest in our shared quilting legacy.
P.S. Every one of your dollars is twice as valuable due to an anonymous donor matching up to $20,000 in donations.
P.P.S. You can also call us, and we can take a donation over the phone. Make sure to ask for our Carissa Heckathorn. You can also mail a check to 68 E Court Ave, Winterset, IA 50273.
Iowa Quilt Festival
May 31 – June 3, 2023
Imagine hundreds of quilters in one charming Midwestern town with a historic square and famous covered bridges. That’s exactly the setting for the Iowa Quilt Festival taking place May 31 – June 3, 2023. It sounds like a Hallmark movie, doesn’t it?
Unlike a Hallmark movie, you won’t buy a Christmas tree farm, travel to another period of time, or meet a real-life prince, but you will find inspiration and new energy for your much-loved hobby by attending the festival classes, retreat, Ricky Tims’ Quilt Luminarium event and Airing of the Quilts on Saturday, June 3. Come for all four days and make it an epic quilting memory!
Check out the line-up of fun on our website.
Stitch In At The Museum
Our Stitch In event has attracted so many of you! It’s a true joy to sit and chat with new and familiar faces. These events are a great way to meet new quilters in the area and soak in the creative and welcoming vibes of our gallery.
We welcome all levels of stitchers and are more than willing to help you learn! Bring your hand piecing, hand quilting, binding projects, and embroidery. If it doesn’t require a machine, you can bring it!
This event is FREE so make sure to register now before space is full!
Thank You To Our Sponsors
This is our moment to thank Tony and Jeanne Jacobsen and Piece Works Quilt Shop for their generous sponsorships of Quilt Luminarium with Ricky Tims. They truly believe in the experience and the value provided to the quilting community!
If you’re interested in sponsoring a portion of the Iowa Quilt Festival, please reach out to our Director at director@iowaquiltmuseum.org.
In addition to keeping you up-to-date on all of the happenings here at the IQM, we also use our Iowa QuiltScape messages to share quilt-related news and events happening across our great state. Check it out!
Quilt Events in Iowa
Quilt Amana
Join us April 14-16, 2023 at Price Creek Event Center in the heart of beautiful Amana for QUILT AMANA 2023.
Friday 9:00am – 5:30pm
Saturday 9:00am – 5:30pm
Sunday 10:00am – 3:00pm
- Award Winning Quilts
- Hundreds Of Quilts On Display (including quilts from guest artists)
- Over 200 Quilts For Sale
- “Found” Quilts No Longer Lost To Time
- Fabric Rep Swatch Sale
- Vendors
- Art Quilts
- Amana Quilting Exhibit
Tickets are available for purchase at the door.
Quilting: The Thread That Binds
Saturday, April 15, 2023 – 10 AM
Quilt show hosted by The Lake Area Quilters’ Guild. The show location is Clear Creek elementary school, 901 S 14th St., Clear Lake Iowa. We will have a large display of quilts, vendors, quilters boutique, demonstrations, bed turning, raffle quilt, door prizes, and lunch. Join us for a day of fun. $5 admission. 9 am to 5 pm, April 15th, 2023.
Kalona Quilt Show & Sale
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Over 200 new and antique hand-quilted quilts on display and for sale. Raffle quilts and other vendors on site. For more information contact Woodin Wheel 319-656-2240 www.woodinwheel.com or katie@woodinwheel.com
Thank you for reading Iowa QuiltScape.
Please share us with a friend!
Iowa QuiltScape is a feature of the Iowa Quilt Museum’s periodical 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 Carissa Heckathorn: director@iowaquiltmuseum.org.
If you’re reading this but it didn’t come to your inbox, use the Email Signup form on the top of this page to make sure you’re on the list and don’t miss out on any Iowa QuiltScape news!
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