‘American Quilts’ a must see

29 June, 2010

I saw the “American Quilts: Selections from the Winterthur Collection,” currently on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum, over the weekend and the quilts were inspiring.

There are more than 40 quilts in the exhibit and many were made by women in their early 20s as bridal quilts, which just goes to show you that quilting isn’t just for little old ladies. These works of art were perfectly pieced and quilted with the tiniest of stitches.

The women were quite frugal, not just because the quilts were often pieced from worn clothing, but because they didn’t waste even the tiniest scrap. I saw one lone star quilt where the maker had pieced two scraps together of the same fabric to make one diamond.

I also had to laugh at one of the quilts displayed rather prominently. There was hardly a matching point on the quilt, yet because it has survived to this day and contains so many different examples of fabric from the period, it is cherished. So there is hope for all our quilts with imperfections.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 6, 2010. If you’re planning a trip near or to the Milwaukee, Wis., area, I strongly suggest you stop by and see the masterpieces for yourself.

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