Merikay Waldvogel, a nationally recognized quilt historian will visit the Virginia Quilt Museum on March 20 to celebrate National Quilting Day.
Waldvogel will discuss “Soft Covers for Hard Times: Quiltmaking and the Great Depression” during her virtual presentation.
Participants will hear the stories of the quilt revival fueled by women’s magazines, newspapers, mail order companies and the Sears National Quilt Contest of 1933. Also included are excerpts from interviews of quiltmakers who recall using feed sack cloth in dresses and quilts. The lecture is highlighted by slides of 1930s quilts, kits and patterns.
Waldvogel is recognized as an expert on quilts of the mid-20th century quilt revival. Her book, “Soft Covers for Hard Times: Quiltmaking and the Great Depression,” is the key work on mid-20th century quilts and quiltmaking. She also co-directed the Quilts of Tennessee project in the 1980s and served on the Board of Directors of American Quilt Study Group and the Quilt Alliance. In 2009, she was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame.
The Virginia Quilt Museum is the Official Quilt Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Founded in 1995, the museum’s mission is to “cultivate and preserve the quilting arts in Virginia.” The museum’s three floors of rotating exhibits are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The museum is located at 301 S. Main St. Harrisonburg, VA.
For more information, visit http://www.vaquiltmuseum.org.
