In Winter of Loss, quilt artist and poet Joan Schulze portrays the heartbreaking experience of losing her husband, Jim, to dementia. In brief moments available while caring for him, she found solace in creating unique quilts and collages and expressed her complicated feelings through evocative poetry. 

MJ Kinman likes to tell people that she makes the biggest gemstones in the world, but instead of using the hardest substances on earth, she fashions her gems from the softest – cloth. The adventure started 30 years ago when an image of a gorgeous gem captured her imagination. As a new quiltmaker, she was unsure of how to transform that image into a quilt, but she knew there had to be a way. She began searching for the right techniques and, after seven years of research and experimentation, made her first gem.

Salley Mavor: Bedtime Stitches consists of the original artwork for Mavor’s latest book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World. The series of sculptural embroideries celebrate cultural differences and highlight the universal theme of children sleeping safe in their beds. For My Bed, author Rebecca Bond created the book’s poem and Salley Mavor illustrated accompanying scenes which bring children and their varying surroundings to life.

Anne Burton was driving when she received the call with test results. 

She already knew that her two-year-old son, August, had a tumor in a lymph node, which was wrapped around his facial nerve. Yet, after three months of scans and consultations, the cause was elusive. The latest results were in: the tumor was growing quickly and had to be removed. August’s surgery was in 10 days. The nurse told Burton she could bring a quilt to comfort her son in the hospital.

“Quilts look better when you have a lot of them.”

Joanna S. Rose

New Yorker Joanna S. Rose (1930-2021) began buying quilts in the 1950s. She enjoyed searching for bargains at flea markets and antique stores. Mrs. Rose did not consider herself a collector. Rather, she described herself as a “treasure hunter,” saying, “A collector always wants to better a collection. I buy only what I like and for no other reason.”  Joanna Rose particularly liked red and white quilts!

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrates 25 years. The 1997 donation of the 1000-piece Ardis and Robert James Collection to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the IQM. For the past quarter century, the James Collection has formed the museum’s core, its heart.

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrates 25 years. The 1997 donation of the 1000-piece Ardis and Robert James Collection to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the IQM. For the past quarter century, the James Collection has formed the museum’s core, its heart.

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrates 25 years. The 1997 donation of the 1000-piece Ardis and Robert James Collection to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the IQM. For the past quarter century, the James Collection has formed the museum’s core, its heart.

The Hopi people of northeast Arizona live in 12 villages dotted across what are referred to as First Mesa, Second Mesa, and Third Mesa. They have a long history of producing beautiful cotton and wool blankets, robes, belts, and ceremonial sashes. Quiltmaking became a tradition after its introduction to Hopi women by Christian missionaries more than 100 years ago. Hopi artists draw upon designs unique to their culture, often seen in pottery and baskets.

South Asia is rich in quiltmaking traditions. Women have made quilts in this region for centuries and have used them in a multitude of ways: as bed covers, seating mats, tent panels, and dowry items. Varying techniques, color palettes, and formats can be found among different ethnic and regional groups, and certain styles can help identify where a quilt likely was made. In this group of Indian and Pakistani quilts from the International Quilt Museum’s Education Collection, we look at how the techniques of appliqué, piecing, and quilting are used among diverse South Asian communities.