Virtual Quilt Display with Hastings Museum

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Now on You Tube is our popular series on quilts with Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, curator of collections at Hastings Museum.

Depending on whom you ask, there are as few as 24 traditional quilt patterns or over 400. No matter the pattern, one thing is certain: each quilt illustrates the maker’s ability to meld colors and prints together into a cohesive design. Along the way, they may incorporate pieces of a personal story or memory that makes the quilt more meaningful to them or the person for whom they are making it.

Part 1: Pieced Quilts
Teresa explores a few of the more commonly known patterns of pieced quilts, including the oldest quilt in the collection and a top made by the museum founder’s grandmother.

Part 2: Crazy Quilts
So many materials have been used to make these eclectic throws. Teresa shares one of the more unique pieces in the collection made from cigar ribbons, as well as some of the fun ways these types of quilts were
embellished.

Part 3: Embroidery Quilts
Teresa expands on the embroidery methods used in crazy quilts by looking at quilts made with blocks of embroidered patterns. Patterns for embroidery work were often made available through print media like newspapers or women journals in the mid-1900s, making them common. However, each person could add their own flare with colors or added elements. While not sold patterns, this episode features a number of signature quilts. In some cases,the signatures were embroidered into the quilt while others were simply written. One of the more interesting pieces in the collection is a signature quilt featuring names of veterans of the War of 1812, Civil War and the Spanish-American War.

Part 4: Applique Quilts
These designs require more fabric but offer the maker more options for
intricate details and artistic expressions. While flowers are a common
motif, the options are truly limitless. To wrap up this series, Teresa
shares tips on how you can care for your own quilts and keep them
preserved for the next generation.