On August 2nd, my friend Pam and I took a quilting cruise on the Mississippi river. We heard quilter, historian, and fabric designer, Darlene Zimmerman; share her vast knowledge of antique quilts. While Zimmerman’s specialty is quilts from the 1930s, she did share with us some civil war era quilts as well as contemporary quilts made with reproduction fabric.
Even though I've never really been a fan of quilts from the 1930s, I knew that the lecture and trunk show would be interesting. The fact that I was on a riverboat only added to the appeal.
Zimmerman has a tremendous collection of quilts and it did not take long for me to become immersed in the history she shared. Thanks to her lecture, I definately have begun to acquire an appreciation for quilts from this time period.
The scenery outside the boat was as beautiful as the quilts inside.
Most early quilters used fabric from whatever sources they could find. Many articles of clothing were recycled into utilitarian quilts. This dress survived simply because it was a maternity dress. No woman would ever cut up a maternity dress – you never know when you might need it again!
The above quilt is a sampler of blocks. Many women created sample blocks in order to hone their skills and to try out a particular pattern before committing to it.
A beautiful sunset on the Mississippi; a perfect end to a perfect evening.
