Places for quilt lovers to visit

I am not a quilter but one does not have to make a quilt to appreciate all the work that goes into making one.  I have visited several quilt museums along with Gentle Arts which only deepened my appreciation for the art.

1.     Gentle Arts: Gentle Arts in New Orleans has 55 years of cumulative textile experience. The have worked with private collectors and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Historic Trust.  They restore, repair and/or preserve all manner of textiles including quilts.

2.     Seaway Trail Quilt Competition and Exhibition: The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show is held annually at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor, NY. The 2013 Great Lakes Seaway Trail Beauty of the Byways theme quilt show will be held March 16-17 and March 23-24 with expanded venues in the village of Sackets Harbor. The international interest in the show last year prompted the addition of a second weekend and more venues to display the quilts in 2013.

3.     The New England Quilt Museum: Located in Lowell, MA, the New England Quilt Museum is the only museum in the northeast devoted solely to the preservation, promotion and celebration of this art form. They have great exhibits featuring the best antique and contemporary quilts.

4.     The Lancaster Quilt and Textile Museum: Located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch County, the museum has one of the finest collections of Amish quilts. They represent the golden period of Amish quilting from the 1880s to the 1940s. Sadly it is open by reservation only.

5.     The Virginia Quilt Museum: Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the Historic Shenandoah Valley, the Virginia Quilt Museum is the official quilt museum of the Commonwealth by the Virginia. Among their prized quilts are the rare Civil War quilts.

6.     International Quilt Study Center & Museum: The center in Lincoln, Nebraska has the largest publicly held collection in the world. The 3500+ quilts date from the early 1700s to the present and represent more than 30 countries.  A tour is available with paid admission.

7.     The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: While in Golden, Colorado, stop by the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum includes bed coverings of the 1800’s to contemporary art pieces.  For the researcher and quilt enthusiast, their Sandra Dallas Library contains over 3000 volumes featuring out-of-print literature, technique resources, historic patterns and research documents.

8.     San Jose Quilt & Textile Museum: The California museum’s diversified collection is comprised of over 850 textiles, including historic and contemporary quilts, contemporary woven textile art forms and wearable art in its permanent collection. They celebrates the rich cultural diversity of the Bay Area with stories, crafts and folk traditions from around the world.

9.     The Visions Art Museum:  Located in San Diego, California, the museum presents art quilts, fiber, and textile exhibitions throughout the year at the NTC Promenade and in the arts and culture district of Liberty Station in San Diego, California. Artists from around the world are showcased in the state-of-the-art gallery built in 2007.

10.  La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum: The museum is located in the historic Gaches Mansion in La Conner, Washington. Their permanent collection includes quilts and textile from 1820 to present. They host a variety of events and quilt challenges throughout the year. While it is one of the newer quilt museums it has grown in size and stature.