A Fons & Porter Homecoming
On Exhibit through Sunday, January 5th
Only three weeks remain in which to see our current exhibit, A Fons & Porter Homecoming, which displays some of the greatest works of Marianne Fons & Liz Porter. The notable duo first learned to quilt, and began the journey that led to achieving ‘legend’ status in the world of quilting, right here in Winterset! Take a break from shopping, wrapping, baking, sewing and enjoy a trip to Winterset before the winter weather hits us. (Keep reading to learn how you can get a reduced rate on your admission!)
Holiday Hours at the IQM
Tuesday, December 24th – 10:00 – 1:00
Wednesday, December 25th – CLOSED
Tuesday, December 31st – 10:00 – 1:00
Wednesday, January 1st – CLOSED
Take Home a Fons & Porter Quilt
“Happy Home” is a round robin quilt created by Marianne Fons, Bettina Havig, Marti Michell, Liz Porter, & Judy Martin. It was published in Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting Magazine, May/June 2004; Approximately 51” x 51”. Tickets are just $2 apiece and you can purchase them through our online store. (We’ll create the physical ticket and get your name in the drawing.) The drawing will take place when this exhibit closes on January 5th.
“Thank You” to our sponsors
Winter “Road Trip Rate” Admission
Pack up a car-load of your friends and head to Winterset and the Iowa Quilt Museum this winter and take advantage of our “Road Trip Rate” admission – $5 each for a group of five or more!
Shopping Treasures at the Iowa Quilt Museum
Whether you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, ‘a little something’ for a friend or colleague, or a really special gift for a loved one, we have several one-of-a-kind options in our gift shop—including several incredible quilts.
We really encourage you to plan a day and come to Winterset—see the museum, and visit our gift shop. We have a wide variety of gifts and not just for quilters! If you aren’t able to visit us in person, check out our online store and we’ll ship to you!
Whatever you don’t find here in the IQM gift shop, you’ll probably find as you shop your way around the square. Visit our two quilt shops (Ben Franklin & Piece Works) and about a dozen other shops on our historic town square. For a preview, here’s the Madison County Chamber of Commerce Shopping Guide
Speaking of Christmas Lists…
If you’d like to get a little something for us…
Typically, when we need something specific our motto is “borrow it”. Or sometimes it’s “make-do with what we have.” However, if you’d like to include the IQM in your Christmas giving this year, here are a few things that we’d really like to acquire so that we can stop borrowing or making-do.
- Eight FULL SIZE air mattresses (like this one) for the airing of the quilts bed turnings
- Four Quilt hanging racks (like this one) for our pop-up exhibits
- Some in-cupboard shelving (like this & this) to turn some of our space into usable storage
- A rolling cart (like this one)
Most of the links are to Amazon.com items but anything similar is fine. By the way, if you’re shopping Amazon this holiday season. Try out AmazonSmile and designate the Iowa Quilt Museum as the charity of your choice.
Craft in America: Quilts
Premieres on PBS December 27th
Craft in America: QUILTS, highlights the vibrancy and relevance of the contemporary quilting community and the important role that quilts have played in our country’s history. This documentary profiles artists who have a unique approach to this powerful art form and explores the meaning, emotion, and beauty embedded within every quilt.
Craft in America: QUILTS premieres on PBS on Friday, December 27, 2019 (check local station schedules.)
Back in Print: The Quilter’s Complete Guide
Autographed copies available exclusively through the IQM
The Quilter’s Complete Guide by Marianne Fons and Liz Porter is the definitive how-to manual by two of America’s most trusted quilters and, their words, the publication that really “put them on the map.” The perfect book for both beginners and those wishing to brush up on their skills, this trusted guide takes readers from the basics of choosing and cutting fabric to placing the finishing touches on their handmade quilts. Hundreds of full-color photos, charts, and diagrams accompany lessons on quilting styles—hand, machine, trapunto, and appliqué—and instructions for assembly, plus a wealth of patterns and sewing tips.
The Quilters Complete Guide is available through many sources, and maybe even in your local quilt shop, but the ONLY way you can get an AUTOGRAPHED copy is by ordering it from the Iowa Quilt Museum! If you visit us in person, you can pick it up for $25 or order it through our online store and we’ll ship it to you for just a little more.
Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns
Quilter and historian Barbara Brackman announced late last month that her Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns is in the process of being re-published by Electric Quilt. As much as the Quilter’s Complete Guide is the definitive ‘how-to’ book for quilters, the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns is a mainstay ‘go-to’ resource for identifying and naming quilt blocks. No date has been announced yet, but we will let you know when we have more information. By the way, Barbara Brackman, along with Deb Rowden, will be curating an exhibit for the Iowa Quilt Museum in July of 2020!
Airing of the Quilts | June 6, 2020
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