She is recognizedĪs a Nebraska Treasure in the book Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers. Louise was inducted into the Nebraska Quilter’s Hall of Fame in 1991 for her lifetime achievements and significance to the heritage of quiltmaking in Nebraska. She participated in Quilt Symposium ‘77, organized by the Lincoln Quilters Guild to bring together quiltersįrom around the country. Louise was the first president of the Lincoln Quilters Guild, founded in 1973. Introduced to quilting by her motherin-law, Louise developed a passion for quilting quickly. Louise’s dedication to the complexity of this pattern was mirrored by her tireless work in promoting quiltmaking in Nebraska. The quilting includes several motifs including stars, bars, squares, and diamonds. Each of the 20-inch blocks include 180 pieces. The pattern was rarely made because of the detailed piecing andĬomplicated quilting. Lousie Howey used a complex pattern to make this quilt-it is a variation on two “Nebraska” patterns, one published in the “Nancy Cabot” column of the Chicago Tribune newspaper in the 1930s and the other in Hearth and Home magazine. In about 1871 Belle married John Rhodes by 1875 the couple had settled in the Beatrice, Nebraska, area, having carried the treasured quilt with them. A design with a possible British lineage was a fitting choice for a mother and daugher of English heritage. Americans also used Prince’s Feather as the common name for the feathery fronded amaranth plant. Wales’s emblem that featured three tall feathers rising through a coronet. The Princess Feather or Prince’s Feather pattern may be derived from the Prince of Possibly family and friends in Ohio kept them abreast of popular trends. Though the Wilsons lived far from populated areas in the Iowa countryside, they followed contemporary fashion when making the red and green Princess Feather quilt. According to the family lore, the women were making this quilt together in 1865 when a rider delivered news that President Lincoln had been assasinated. Mother and daughter, Rebecca and Isabella ‘Belle’ Wilson were born in Ohio, but moved to Iowa, where this quilt was made. Made by Rebecca Gouffin Wilson and Isabella Irene Wilson Rhodes The museum today is home to a number of the quilts that were featured in the book “Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers.” The quilts were donated by individuals who were inspired by the survey project volunteers to recognize the importance of preserving their family quilt and its provenance The documentation and research begun by the Nebraska Quilt Project team paved the way for the formation of the International Quilt Museum. In 1997, the Center was formed, as the first academic center devoted to the study of quilts across time and space. Patricia Crews, professor in the The Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design at the University, who was the academic advisor to the project team and co-editor the Nebraska book and asked if the University would be interested in accepting a donation of their collection. Impressed by the quality of the research featured in “Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers” and the level of grass-roots support found among Nebraskans, they proposed that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was an ideal home for their quilts. The James looked to their home state of Nebraska, recognized as a leader in the movement to document quilt history. Shortly after the results of the state survey were published in “Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers,” an award-winning volume, Ardis and Robert James began looking for a home for their outstanding collection of nearly 1000 quilts. Led by director Frankie Best, the group recorded family stories, photographed each quilt, and gathered background on the quiltmakers, including gender, occupation, ethnicity, religious background, education, and the occasion that prompted a quilt’s creation. The Nebraska quilt project team, in numerous day-long events, collected information on 1,557 quiltmakers who made 3216 quilts between 18. Twenty-five years ago a dedicated group of 21 volunteers set out to document Nebraska quilts that remained in private hands, fearful that the rich heritage inherent in the family quilts would be lost forever if not documented. This exhibition of fifteen quilts celebrates the work of the Nebraska Quilt Project team - pioneering individuals who preserved an invaluable record of life in our state, told through the history of cherished quilts.
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