Current Exhibition

The Whole Story: Wholecloth Quilts by Hand and Machine
April 3–June 15, 2008

In this exhibit, the design and technique of traditional and contemporary wholecloth quilts—whether by hand or machine, painted, stamped or dyed—gives testament to the rich history and the unique visual statement the wholecloth quilt makes today. The wholecloth quilt is similar to a painter’s blank canvas. In the same way that the artist approaches the canvas, the wholecloth quilter relies on the design elements of color, scale, texture and finishing techniques when making a quilt.

Many early New England wholecloth quilts were made of wool that was woven and dyed with natural plant dyes before the quilting design was marked and stitched. The scale of the quilting designs on wool quilts was enlarged due to the thickness of the wool and the difficulty of hand stitching a delicate design. Of two quilts on loan from the Wenham Museum, one is a hand-dyed green wool with meandering grapes, vines and heart-shaped flowers fluidly stitched across the surface like bold brush strokes. The other—a fine yellow silk quilt also from New England—is masterfully laid out and stitched with intricate feather motif and highly stylized flower borders.

Diane Gaudynski, a machine quilter, was influenced by this same Northern England quilting style and used her sewing machine to create similar motifs for her small quilts: Rabbit in Green, Joy, and Abundance. Another small quilt in the exhibit, a rare Welsh wholecloth crib quilt from the collection of Holice Turnbow, is remarkable to have survived the use so many crib quilts did not.

Jeanne Williamson successfully uses construction fencing and other found objects to mono-print patterns on her quilts, which she then stitches and finishes. Similar to the early quiltmakers who used natural plant dyes to create a colored surface, Jane Dunnewold uses a layered approach with commercial resist dye techniques to create a rich and colorful wholecloth surface, adding simple stitching to complete her quilts.

On Saturday, April 5th, at 1 pm, Holice Turnbow, designer and expert on vintage wholecloth quilt patterns, will lecture on the regional, historical and technical influences of wholecloth quilt design. Several of his antique quilts are on loan to the New England Quilt Museum for this exhibit.

On Saturday, May 3rd, at 1 pm, Jeanne Williamson, Natick quilt artist and author, will present her lecture, Stitched Mono-prints, detailing her unique approach to her contemporary wholecloth quilts, several of which are included in this exhibit. Following her presentation Williamson will sign copies of her recently published book The Uncommon Quilter.

Support for this exhibition is provided in part by Mancuso Show Management and David Stansbury Photography.

Regular museum hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Tuesday through Saturday (year round) and Sundays 12 to 4 PM (May through December only). Beginning in January and continuing through April, the museum will be open on the 4th Friday of each month until 8:00 PM - and 4th Friday evenings will be FREE from 4-8PM. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for students/seniors. Museum members are admitted free. Handicapped parking is available. Guided group tours, catered luncheons, and group rates available with reservations.

The New England Quilt Museum preserves, interprets, and celebrates American quilting past and present. Located in historic Lowell, Massachusetts, the heart of America's 19th century textile industry, the Museum offers changing exhibitions of contemporary and antique quilts. A private, non-profit organization, the Museum is supported by members' fees, admission charges, museum store sales, private donations, and gifts and grants from foundations, corporations, and government agencies, including the Lowell Cultural Council.