Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Beauty Secrets: During Installation


Today was hanging day at the Benton County Museum, and the quilts are now up. Just a few details, wall labels, etc., and the exhibit will be ready to open. Perhaps even a day early! Many thanks to the fine folks at the museum, especially curator and webmaster Mark Tolonen who facilitated the whole installation, created labels, and publicized the event on the web.

It was mind-blowing to see so many of these quilts on display in one space, and I'm just delighted. So, I thought I'd share a few pictures taken during installation. Enjoy!

We started the day with bare walls, ladders, and a table piled with quilts.
First order of business was to hang a few quilts from the ceiling. 
Then it was time to get quilts up on the walls and furnish the glass cases.
This glass case display will address key points in the pattern evolution.
Most of the older quilts are either on the stage or toward the front.
Newer and less traditional quilts are on the opposite end.
Quilts made from published patterns bridge the gap between old and new.
"Beauty Secrets: 150 Years of History in One Quilt Pattern" will be on display from August 5th to October 1st at the Benton County Museum in Philomath, Oregon. The exhibit is part of Quilt County, a biennial, countywide celebration of quilts. An 80-page, full-color exhibit catalog is available through Blurb. To preview or purchase the catalog, click here.

9 comments:

  1. I just bought the book and LOVE It! will blog about it soon. After seeing so many of these quilts I am inspired to make one. I wish i could be there to see the quilts in person, what an amazing collection you have acquired. Thank you for sharing them with us.
    Kathie

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  2. Kathie sent me over. What an amazing collection. How special it would be to see these beauties in person. I miss Oregon, having once lived in West Linn.

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  3. Wow. Absolutely wow.

    Janet

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  4. Glad you enjoyed! I can't wait to get back to the museum later this week to take pictures of the finished display (maybe Friday). :)

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  5. Thank you, thank you Kathie for turning me on to this blog! New York Beauty, and variations, is one of my FAVORITES! Your August quilt of the month is particularly beautiful...makes me want to try and re-create it! I am now a follower and I will be back for more eye candy/quilt history.

    In stitches,
    Teresa :o)

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  6. How exciting Bill!! It is going to be fantastic to see it in person!

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  7. Hi Teresa! Welcome!! I've seen close versions of this pattern published in the last ten years. One was done by Barbara Brackman, and I think she called her pattern a "Crown of Thorns" - you can usually find it if you look on eBay. That would be a good place to start for making this type of quilt with the vine sashing.

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  8. So exciting! Looks wonderful...thanks for sharing the photos!

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  9. Gorgeous, Bill! Can't wait to see the exhibit in person!

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