RMQM Quilting Past, Present & Future

I finally made it to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum to see their new exhibit.
"Quilting Past, Present & Future"
Quilts from Front Range Contemporary Quilters with quilts from the RMQM Collection.

This is a detail picture of the Whole Cloth circa 1800 quilt.
Home woven linsey-woolsey fabric with - linen warp and woolen weft. 

Of course hand quilted, beige/tan backing.









This is a shot of the entire
quilt.

My picture does not do it justice.

75" x 91"

Turned edge, no applied binding.

Donated to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum by Anna Shuck of Clariton, PA


I'm not able to show the entire exhibit, or how the old and new quilts are paired.  I'm showing the quilts I enjoyed the most.

 "Sweet Spot"
35" x 45"    2014
Made by Jane L. King - Longmont, CO

"I manipulated my photograph of a white iris by increasing the saturation and zooming into the part of the flower a bee would see.  Perhaps the bees see colors like this and it gives them a target visible from a great distance."

For sale $1575

Detail of "Sweet Spot"

Not only are the colors beautiful, the machine quilting was very complimentary.

 Tulip With Birds - Quilt Top

69" x 87"
circa 1860
Maker Unknown

You can see the green is faded.
 

Detail of Birds and Tulips

Lovely tiny stitches.

 "Spot Remover" 
60" x 36"   2013
Barbara Yates Beasley, Boulder Colorado

"A modified version of the traditional cats cradle repeating quilt pattern holds two lynx in comfort.  Applique is used to create a recognizable animal and tell a short story."

Spot Remover nose detail.           This quilt is for sale $4,250

"Coralee's Mourning Quilt"
circa 1894
80" x 72"
Maker Unknown - Kentucky

Coralee's Mourning Quilt

Center Panel Detail
"In the center panel, chain stitch embroidery reads Coralee Walters born March 29 1885 died March 19 1894 and other names, including Henry Edwards."

Coralee's Mourning Quilt
Outer Panel Detail
"The outer panels contain embroidered symbols, some of which appear to be Masonic, Creole and African.
The orientation of the symbols, which can be read from either side, suggests this quilt may have been a coffin cover."





"Creation Story" is the contemporary paring with Coralee's quilt.
28" x 30"     2014
Jan Magee, Denver, Colorado

"Coralee's Mourning Quilt text was the main inspiration, and I similarly commemorated an event of importance by telling the story.  Rather than embroidered lettering, mine is computer-generated and printed, along with photos for punctuation, technology not available to the original quilt maker.  Secondary inspiration was experimenting with shapes using contrast, not color."

Pinky Finger Model - scale of fabric pieces

Quilt of Many Colors
79" x 80"   circa 1930
Bessie Bailey Sanford, Clare, Michigan

"This quilt contains over 37,000 pieces, all sewn together by HAND.  Fabrics include feed sack and scraps dating from the late 1800's.  RMQM purchased the quilt from the makers grandson.

The maker was said to have one of the largest button collections in Michigan."

Quilt of Many Colors

So many pieces my photo does not capture the beauty of this hand stitched quilt.

The back of Quilt of Many Colors - Yes!  It is hand quilted.

"North Carolina Lily"
70" x 86"  circa 1860
I think this block might actually be BB 1713
Mexican Star










From the exhibit tag:

"The bright blue and tan fabrics are likely from the 1850's.  Many of the fabrics are faded due to unstable dyes."

Detail of the hand quilting.












 

"Log Cabin Barn Raising"
73" x 85"   circa 1880
Maker unknown, Pennsylvania

Hand Quilted

"This quilt is believed to be Mennonite.  The backing fabric is blue and white homespun cotton."

"Chintz Bedcover"
83" x 84"
circa 1825-1835

Showing the tag so you can see the layout and position of the fabrics.

This bed cover was exhibited folded.

Quilt folded on stand

Fabric Detail
Birds and flowers - glazed












More fabric detail

One more early chintz quilt?  OK, glad you stayed with this post.

 

Alternate Block

Bird chintz in setting triangle

More bird chintz from setting triangle

Star Block

Star Block

Star Block

Fabric detail - star block center

The exhibit is open through July 29, 2014.  This post doesn't include every quilt in the exhibit.
I hope you enjoyed the quilts! 
Could you choose a favorite?