GAY BROWNLEE
Virginia Correspondent
HARRISONBURG, Va.
The Virginia Quilt Museum, 301
South Main St., has a way of put
ting visitors “in stitches” around
its unique Christmas tree.
The pine needles may not be
real, but the seasonal tribute of a
Christmas tree is embraced
around and around by miniature
quilts. The quilt donations came
from all over Virginia. Now, on
the encircling jute clothesline
Joan Knight, director of the Virginia Quilt Museum,
Harrisonburg, takes a great amount of pride in her re
sponsibility of overseeing the daily operation of the eight
year old facility that runs three large exhibits a year with
a pleasing mix of vintage and contemporary pieces.
Close up of a side col
umn. Two columns flank a
full mirror at a large ma
hogany fireplace. A Cupid
is at the base of each col
umn. Dubbed “Pat and
Mike,” they once were the
perfect spot for hanging
stockings when the muse
um building was a prvate
dwelling.for the Sipe fami
ly.
Lancaster
they are suspended by tiny
clothespins.
Museum director, Joan
Knight, said when visitors see the
unique decorating idea, interest
ed persons even non-Virgin
ians ask if they can make a
quilt, too. To date 106 mini quilts
are on the tree but others are on
the way.
The Virginia state flower is
represented by the white dog
wood wreath that encircles the
tiptop like a halo. And the state
bird, taking a lofty view of things
at the very peak, is a replica of a
red cardinal.
Knight says the wee quilts rep
resent every section of Virginia.
Patterns range from Sunbonnet
Sue and Betty Boop with red
work embroidery, to Amish,
white on white (whole cloth),
YoYo, crazy quilt, fan, pinwheel,
flying geese, cathedral window, A
Shenandoah Valley postcard
scene, star patterns, hand-stencil
ing, and applique.
“One of the things that is so
popular today,” Knight said,
pointing to a Christmas quilt
with fancj additions, “is embel
lishments."
Embellishments might be but
tons, beads, little pearls or metal
lic threads.
After the 2000 Virginia State
Legislature passed a resolution
making the four-year-old Virgin
ia Quilt Museum the “Official
Quilt Museum of the Common
wealth of Virginia,” quilters in
Northern Virginia encouraged
the museum to launch the Christ
mas tree quilt project, Knight
said.
The invitation to participate
went into a newsletter, along
with a stipulation about sizes. Six
by eight inches was the maxi
mum, and two by three inches,
the minimum.
Knight reports that in the U.S.
only seven quilt museums exist.
The nearest locations are in Ken
tucky and New England.
“We started it (the quilt muse
um) so Virginia quilts could be
preserved for future
generations.’’
Knight explained the proce
dure for other quilt donations.
Now and then a family member
will approach the museum with a
quilt donation they want pre
served.
‘We don't take every quilt that
is offered,” she said, “but we do
like to fill in the blanks (patterns
not preserved previously).”
The request is reviewed by the
committee which makes its deci
sion based the criteria of the
quilt’s condition, if the pattern is
one the museum needs, and if the
quilt’s history is significant.
“Quilting was an artistic out
let,” Knight said, alluding to
hand-stitching that most women
of bygone days did at some time
or other. She said it’s still true,
even when a machine is used to
create a quilt.
Knight said that if machines to
quilt had been available to
women then, they would have
certainly used them.
The house that is home to the
museum has some impressive
features that inspire the streak of
creativity in those who enter it.
The inlaid floors are notable.
Many a quilter departs with an
unspoken goal to recreate the
pattern in her needlework. Like
wise, the intricate design in the
heavy cast iron radiators that are
painted white.
If you want to preserve a quilt,
heirloom or not, forget the plastic
bag. Knight says putting a quilt
in plastic is a mistake. The natu
ral fibers cannot breathe.
“The best thing is to put it in
an old pillow case,” she said. Go
to a thrift shop and buy a large
pillow case if you have none at
home.
“The other thing is take it out
every six months and refold it.”
The gaily decorated
Christmas tree in the Vir
ginia Quilt Museum boasts
an inventory of 106 original
miniature quilts. The
squares were designed,
crafted and donated by
persons from all over the
state. Mini clothespins hold
them suspended on jute
clothesline. Jute clothes
line comes in links and can
be folded up for easy stor
age. Some patterns dis
played are Betty Boop with
red embroidery, Sunbonnet
Sue, YoYo, crazy quilt, fan
quilt, pinwheel, flying
geese, Cathedral window,
stars, Amish, hand-sten
ciled, and appjique. •
Mariann Simmons is pictured with the notable log
cabin miniature quilt, which required about 10 hours to
stitch together the 12 one-inch blocks, each containing
13 strips.
That is, vary the fold lines on a
regular schedule.
The second mistake owners
make is to allow the valuable
piece to be touched by the waim,
bright rays of sunshine. Not only
will fading occur but the heat will
damage and disintegrate the fi
bers.
Lighting in the museum is ad
justed to the correct level for tex
tiles. Additionally, behind the
curtains and draperies a filtering
plexiglass offers protection from
the sun’s ultra-violet rays at the
big windows.
The Virginia Quilt Museum in
located in a house that Colonel
E.T.H. Warren built in 1856.
Warren, a lawyer, was killed
while serving in the Civil War,
The high-ceilinged dwelling was
built as a wedding present for his
wife.
In 1894, George Sipe, who was
a lawyer also, became the owner.
He added the a big addition at
the rear and a pair of mahogany
fireplaces with glazed tiles.
The historic residence eventu-
ally became city property, but in
the year 2000, Harrisonburg offi
cials turned over the real estate
and made it a gift to the Virginia
Quilt Museum.
With the support of grants and
admission fees, the building has
had extensive renovations com
pleted. Rotting floor joists at
ground level were removed and
the thick concrete was poured
underneath to satisfy current
building code requirements. V
olunteer and board member
Vaughn Simmons said that de
spite termite destruction, he saw
in his mind’s eye. a lovely future
for the floor planks and decrepit
joists. Where feasible, he not only
salvaged pieces of the original
wood, but restored and incorpo
rated them brilliantly in the
decor.
The current “Time-Span"
(new quilts from old tops by
Becky Herdle) exhibit will contin
ue through March 29.
Next year the Quilt Museum
schedule includes the following:
Apr. 3-June 28 Time-Squared:
Art Quilts by the Manhattan
Quilters Guild; June through
mid-Oct. Art Quilts From the
Fringe Benefit Quilters of South
west Va.; Mid-Oct.- Feb. 2005
Quilts Made by Men.
In 2005 expect to see “Memo
ries by the Sackful,” which will
feature old. feed bags
Exhibits that are always fea-
In the less imposing of
two mahogany fireplaces
two small mirrors reflect
quilts in the current “Time-
Span Quilts,” exhibit of
pieces produced by Becky
Herdle of Connecticut.
PI
1. -
"'*l
This Christinas stocking
quilt made by Ann Lahr of
Annandale, Northern Va., is
an example of applique and
embellishments.
lured are Vintage Quilts From
the Museum Collection,” and
“Women of the Civil War Era.”
Operating hours are 10 a.m. to
4 p.m., Monday, Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday and Sunday: 1
p.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Tues., Wed., major hol
idays and between exhibitions.
.For additional information,
call (540) 433-3818.
*v