Monday, December 5, 2016

Special Announcement


Happy Monday! Today, I have a special announcement. Apologies in advance for not having more details, but it's exciting news, so I just had to share.


If you've read my blog, even occasionally, you may have noticed I love polyester quilts. I have collected them for several years, and I've got a pretty good collection of them now.



Polyester quilts were part of my first article about the quilts of the 1970s, published in 2013 in American Quilter Magazine.


Around the same time, Generation Q Magazine named me one of the Double-Knit Twins, along with fellow collector and quiltmaker Victoria Findlay Wolfe. We are proud of the moniker. Growing up, Victoria slept under family-made polyester quilts in Minnesota.


Last year, I published a feature article in Quilters Newsletter Magazine, and a research article in Blanket Statements, newsletter of the American Quilt Study Group (AQSG). It was the first time polyester was the subject of a research article published by AQSG.

QuiltCon 2015
"Modern Materials, Quilts of the 1970s" at Benton County Museum
Last year, I also had a special exhibit at QuiltCon in Austin, Texas, and the debut museum exhibition of 1970s quilts at the Benton County Museum in Philomath, Oregon. The flurry of polyester left a few connoisseurs scratching their heads, but we were seeing the quilts of the revival for the first time in a new context. I thought it was pretty thrilling.

By now, you may be wondering about that special announcement I had, so I'll stop stringing you along. Last week, I received a phone call from one of the curators at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was an invitation to exhibit polyester quilts at the museum.


The International Quilt Study Center & Museum is a bucket list destination for quilt lovers. It is a state-of-the-art facility with beautiful, spacious galleries. They have a variety of outstanding exhibitions each year.



I visited the museum in 2012 when the American Quilt Study Group Seminar was in Lincoln. The facility is top notch, as is the staff. So impressed!


Happily, I accepted the invitation to exhibit at the museum, and I'm excited we will be exhibiting polyester quilts. It will be an incredibly vibrant, dynamic exhibition, and a fresh look at quilts from the 1970s quilt revival. The exhibition will be in the summer, 2017. Stay tuned for more details.

26 comments:

  1. Excellent! Any chance of you bringing some over to the UK sometime - maybe for Festival of Quilts?

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  2. Wonderful news, congratulations!

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  3. Great news, Bill. You are on a roll!

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  4. So exciting! Congrats Bill! It's amazing that you're curating such an important part of history and are sharing it with the world. :)

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  5. I am so happy for you and for all the people who will be able to discover these special quilts thanks to this exhibition!
    The IQSCM is such a great place! Each time I need some advise for my quilty rechearch, Lovely Laura takes time to help me.

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  6. Congrats bill! That's wonderful and exciting!

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  7. That's very exciting! Great to share your collection and that slice of history with a new audience!

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  8. Congratulations, Bill! That is awesome news.

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  9. Congratulations! I was able to view the quilts at QuiltCon, and I know people will be interested in seeing them at IQSCM.

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  10. Wow congratulations!! Must be so exciting to be able to share the quilts with even more people so they can get more love!

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  11. Congratulations Bill! Im going to look forward to seeing it as I pass through Lincoln NE every summer on vacation.

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  12. Big congratulations - that is going to be a remarkable show! I have one treasured polyester doubleknit quilt, given to me by its maker (in her 90s now - if still alive) and I treasure it!

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  13. Congratulations! What a wonderful opportunity for you to share your passion.

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  14. oh my goodness! how fun & exciting! my grandmother was a big quilter (traditional quilting) and we always wanted to take her to the quilt museum. alas, we never had the chance. i hope you have an amazing experience showing your collection of quilts there.

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  15. Very AWESOME Bill! This is great news! So many quilters will be able to see your wonderful collection!!!!

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  16. That's exciting! Congratulations to you - I can't wait to hear more about your quilting adventures!

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  17. What amazing accomplishments you've made.......wonder what else might be up that long sleeve??

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