The state of Tennessee has a fabulous new museum building in Nashville. Their first temporary exhibit is a quilt show up until July 7th. I snapped some pictures when I visited last month...
Frances Mary “Fannie” Powers, of Rutherford County
and I pirated a few pictures from museum publicity.
The quilts are grouped by type. Many are displayed on slant boards.
The museum has about 400 quilts. They chose 40 for the show.
A more than life-size photo on display
Bacon Family of Roane County
Can't have a show of Tennessee quilts without a Rocky Mountain.
People of the World by Lillian Beattie
The is a full size quilt, drafted and stitched with skill
One of the characteristic pieced designs that looks as if it were appliqued
but the roses and swags are all pieced in.
Margaret Ordoñez prepared the quilts for exhibition. We heard a presentation from Dr. O about
the process. She certainly enjoys her work.
Dr. Adelson had much assistance from Bets Ramsey (above on the left)
and Merikay Waldvogel (below left) who wrote the Quilts of Tennessee book.
One of America's oldest date-inscribed quilts
Rebecah Foster 1808
It was great to see this one in the cloth.
The Museum has a collecting goal of at least one quilt from each of the state's 95 counties.
They have 72 counties represented so far.
My favorite has to be Sallie Hasson's Masonic applique. She and her
sisters were professional milliners and each made a similar quilt.
The applique is done by machine.
The whole Museum is worth a drive to Nashville. When you go notice
the etched glass images of regional quilt patterns in the architecture.
Here's a video: https://www.facebook.com/tnmuseum.org/videos/544723742680200/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAqwmgX_kP50QH8zbedM1fGdmcqmfSf2CEtY12A-Og-zzcddMA7N0wtsW7KYN6NX2zHvKN8zow0POiW
And an interview with Candace Adelson, Senior Curator of Costumes and Textiles
https://www.todaytells.com/between-the-layers-art-and-story-in-tennessee-quilts-antiques-and-the-arts-online/