Quilt Museum

By Judy Shutts

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum is a center of art, culture, education and entertainment housed in an architectural gem on the corner of 33rd and Holdrege.

Whether it’s a “Night at the Museum” or the National Quilting Day, the Museum offers a variety of exhibits and events that appeal to a wide audience.

Patricia Crews, director of the IQSCM says that First Fridays are a good time to get acquainted with the museum or meet up with old friends. The first Friday of every month the museum is open from 4:30 to 7:00 with free admission and activities such as a book signing, lecture or musical performance.

National Quilting Day is held every year on the third Saturday of March. Visitors will enjoy free museum admission and tours of the museum’s quilt exhibitions. Experts share their wisdom and experiences through a variety of demonstrations, lectures and hands-on activities.

Can a quilt talk? Quilt owners can find out at a Quilt Identification Day. Quilt experts examine heirloom quilts and share what the quilts reveals about their history. They then photograph the quilt and sew on labels. The ID Days are held four Sundays a year from 1:30-4:00 p.m.

Exhibits at the ISQCM appeal to folks interested in art, crafts or textiles. “Indigo Gives American the Blues” highlights quilts dyed with indigo dyes, from pale sky blue to deep midnight blue. Blue and white fabrics have long been popular and fabrics for clothing, interior furnishing and bedding have all been dyed with indigo. But visitors may be surprised at the stunning patterns of indigo quilts. Viewing the quilts is an ideal way to appreciate how “Indigo Gives America the Blues.”


“The Engineer Who Could: Ernest Haight’s Half-Century of Quiltmaking” is an exhibit of quilts created by a native Nebraskan who was a farmer and engineer. Haight was also a puzzler and prolific quiltmaker. He perfected machine quilting and timesaving methods and created hundreds of quilts during a 50-year span. As one might expect, his quilts reflect his engineering background with complex geometric designs. His story, along with his quilts, will be on exhibit from June 2013 to March 2014.

Quilt enthusiasts can tap into the ISCCM’s quilt collection online via the Quilt Explorer. More than 1000 quilts from 16 countries are available for viewing on the website. Also available is the Quilt of the Month along with museum news. Visitors may sign up for this service on the website.

The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Docent-guided tours are available FREE with admission Tuesday-Friday at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Admission is free on the first Friday of each month from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

To learn more about events, exhibits or volunteering, visit the website at www.quiltstudy.org.