Arizona Historical Quilt Study Group

I just saw an article on the Arizona Historical Quilt Study Group that I thought some of you would find interesting. Here it is:

Examiner Article 11/14 on AHQSG

Meeting of the AZ Historical Quilt Study Group

We have received an invitation for any interested members to attend a meeting of the AZ Historical Quilt Study Group. It will be held on February 21 from 10:00am to 1:30pm at the Gilbert Historical Society Museum. They are asking for a donation of $2 per attendee to cover the cost of renting the space. They are also asking people to bring strippy quilts. They will be discussing and doing a show & tell of these quilts.

CORRECTION - I spoke with Kayla, Director of Gilbert Historical Museum, and she confirmed that the scheduled date for the Arizona Historical Quilt Study Group is Saturday, February 28. The meeting begins at 10:00. (Correction posted 2/16)

Gilbert Historical Museum
10 S Gilbert Rd
Gilbert, AZ
4800-926-1577

Amazing Photos Through History

Millions of photos from Life Magazines archives are now available on-line through a photo archive hosted by Google. The archive includes photos that we never published in the magazine. You can do a search on a particular subject by adding "source.life" to your Google search term. Or you can go to the home page and do a search there or click on a decade to view - the 1860's through the 1970's. You can also click on famous peoples names, places, events, sports, and culture. The pictures are pretty amazing.

Home Page of Life Magazine Photo Archives

Quilts Photos from Life Archives

March 4 - Patterns & Quilting History from book by Rose Wilder Lane

I imagine that many of you, like me, sometimes bypass older books of quilting patterns when browsing at used book stores or garage sales. There are many reasons for this, perhaps we think the patterns are too old fashioned or the techniques to difficult or time consuming since the instructions are often from before the advent of the rotary cutter and other wonderful devices. Luckily my Dad did not pass this book set by when he saw it at the library used book sale in his home town. He gave it to me for Christmas. Many of the patterns are based upon historical quilts and needlework. I found them fascinating and inspiring to look at. I'll be sharing them with you at the meeting. Additionally, I'll bring two quilts that my great grandmother's made. Some of you have seen them before, but I know that some of you have not.

And, yes the book is by Rose Wilder Lane daughter of Laura Ingels Wilder.

-- Amy Monahan

Gilbert Historical Museum Quilting

As you know, Kim Maples and I are quilters at the Gilbert Historical Museum. The museum is open from 9am-4pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Quilting goes on during those times as well. We have two old traditional quilting frames set up in what is called the Home Life room. Each frame can accommodate 6-8 quilters. We are always looking for additional quilters to join us. You do not need to be an experienced frame quilter to be one of us. We have several quilters who just walked in to the museum one day and said that they weren't quilters but had a desire to be one. The ladies are very welcoming by saying "Come here, sit down and we'll show you how to quilt on a frame. We realize that there is a learning period and we will give you all the time needed to feel comfortable doing so. There are no 16 stitches to the inch (or even
14 or 12) among us quilters. Come with a comfortable fitting thimble too.

We have all become good friends because we have a shared love of quilting. My first quilting teacher always said, "There's a lot of good woman talk that goes on around the quilting frame." and that is certainly true there. We solve the problems of the world (and
ourselves) and have lots of wonderful laughs that mostly only women can understand. If you've gone to quilt camp you'll know what I mean.

I always say that I think I should pay the museum for the privilege of seeing some of the wonderful old (and new) quilt tops that are brought in to us. And the stories that come with some of them are wonderful too.
I know the spirits of those long ago quilters are heaving a sigh of relief that their quilt top is FINALLY being quilted. All of us can relate to that!
You don't have to quilt every day or for long periods of time. It's whatever amount of time you have to give. I've ran down and quilted for an hour just to have some quilt therapy time.

The Museum will be having its 3rd Quilt Show, starting the first week in March until Memorial Day. We would love to have Nimble Thimbles members enter your quilts in the show. Kim will have paperwork available for you to fill out if you are interested. If you have a quilt in the show you will not have to pay the museum admission fee.
The quilts in the show are enjoyed and admired but not judged.
Hopefully your experience will inspire you to enter your quilt in upcoming Arizona Quilters Guild shows where they will be a part of the judging process which is meant to help and support you not discourage you.
--Darlene Reid