This past week was a wonderful adventure! I was invited to lecture and teach for the Lincoln Nebraska Quilters. There were so many reasons this trip was special. First – it was a great group!
Second – my niece and her family recently relocated to Omaha (which is less than an hour’s drive from Lincoln). Kaitlin and Marty have 2 adorable little ones and I was able to stay with them for a couple of days.
Third – Barb and the guild invited me to take a tour of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
I’d heard about it for years, and it was truly a blessing to be able to see it. Especially since I was given the tour by a guild member who is also a docent at the Museum.
The IQSCM was a gift to the University by Robert and Ardis James, who are famous for their quilt collecting and generosity to the quilt world.
Ardis wanted the Center to be called the “Quilt House”, and this is the dedication at the entrance to the building.
The exhibits were fascinating, from a collection of African American quilts:
through a thought provoking exhibit of Michael James quilts made in memory of his wife:
to my personal favorite – “Covering the War”, an exhibit of quilts made during war time in our nation (very fitting since I was there just before Veteran’s Day). These quilts were displayed with their touching stories:
And this was only a small part of the Center’s collection, and all of it’s other attributes. They often have charity sew-ins in the atrium, and the community is invited to be involved in many activities.
I really admired the Center’s logo – a lovely circle of needles:
And Pat was kind enough to give me her pin as a remembrance of my visit. Thank you, Pat.
If you’re ever near Lincoln – I highly recommend this as a “not-to-be-missed” attraction!
Fourth – I got to share my passion for quilting and two suitcases full of quilts! The night of the IQSCM tour, I presented my “Journey With a Compass” lecture to a large and delightful group of quilters, and the next day I taught my beginning fiber art class entitled “Where Do I Start With Fiber Art”. These mainly traditional quilters had a lot of fun stepping outside of their comfort zones to play with fabric, color and design.
I always learn as much as my students, and it was quite obvious that a good time was had by all 😀 ! What a wonderful guild! Thanks for everything!
I had never been in Nebraska before, but now I’m scheduled to return in March to lecture and teach for a guild in Fremont. I can’t wait!
Mary Beth Weeks says
Our Faithful Circle Guild (Downers Grove) went on an overnight trip to the center two weeks ago. We all loved it!
cckoester says
My son moved to Omaha last January. I’m hoping for a trip to the museum sometime when I visit them.
Laurie Ellsoos says
Hello. I recently purchased a Fons and Porter magazine that was published in November/December 2012 and found a quilt called Blossom Wreath – it is a red-and-green applique quilt based on a precious museum piece. What Fons and Porter stated in their article was “to download materials, assembly instructions and diagrams for this quilt” was to go to their website and download these things. I cannot get the Fons and Porter website to have these things. Can you help?