From Omaha to Lincoln!

Three of us loaded up into Gerry’s SUV and drove 45 minutes past fields of corn, and rambling pumpkin patches to meet up with Kay and pass me off for the next leg of this wild wild Nebraska quilt tour!

What a better place to move luggage from one vehicle to another!  The International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska!

Have you ever been?  It’s been several years since my last visit, and this time they had not only a display of Cheddar quilts from the Joanna S Rose collection (mu passion!) but a terrific gallery exhibit by Marti Michell, but a special exhibit on wood quilts by Wood Quilts by Laura Petrovich Cheney.  Another exhibit featured the eclectic collection of Mark Dunn of Moda fabrics, among others!

Doesn’t this look like a string quilt?

It’s made of PENCILS!

Info next to the “quilt.”

This one also captured my eye:

Doesn’t it look like a string quilt?

It’s made with salvage wood left from the wreckage of Hurricane Sandy.

The story touched me.

It was a wonderful exhibit and I love how artists can use any medium to express themselves through times of trial and heartbreak.  We can all relate to that!

Our docent explaining to us the quilts in the Mark Dunn collection.

Many of the fabrics in these quilts have been reproduced by Moda with sample quilts displayed next to the originals.  It is kind of “Is it live, or is it Memorex??” for those over a certain age who remember the commercials of long ago!

Left – original quilt.  Right – reproduction quilt.

More favorites from the Mark Dunn collection.

Getting up close and personal with some of the artier quilts.

And finally – finally!  We were in the cheddar exhibit!

So many quilts to captivate!

Gorgeous applique pieces -

To radiant feathered stars.

Charming baskets -

Swirling and whirling rising sun blocks!

Incredible workmanship – each one.

I’ve had some people tell me that they just don’t LIKE orange or cheddar.  And I understand.  It’s not really a color that many can wear.  And when we are told as a small child that “oh dea, you just shouldn’t wear yellow or orange….”  That interprets to the understanding that we just don’t like it.

When I think of these quilters in the late 1800s FINALLY having a vibrant color for the decorative arts that was colorfast – (And cheddar really came only as a solid, not  often as a print – ) and it was not a color that anyone was making garments out of to WEAR, but there for their needlework – I can see why the quilters jumped in with reckless abandon.  

This was yard goods.  Not just scraps from making clothing.  It was one color they purchased just for their quilts that would be LEGENDARY!

Oh, and it is! It is!

There is no other color that can DO THIS!

I took so many photos that there is no way to include them all in this post – this is just a sampling of what we saw yesterday.

Oh look!  I think I caught the ONE RAY OF SUNSHINE for this trip!

(It’s been raining constantly.)

Posing for a quickie before heading to our cars!

As the Omaha contingency went one way, and Kay and I went another, I waved a fond farewell to these ladies I’ve gotten to know over the past few days.  And I’ll be seeing them again on my 3rd leg when I come back to the Omaha area to meet with the Cottonwood Quilters after my tine in Grand Island is over.

Kay and I had enough time to toodle around a Grand Island Antique mall before checking me into my hotel and heading to dinner – and I’ll save THAT for another time!

As it is – this needs a quick upload as today is another double duty day.  Cathedral Stars is our workshop up on deck, followed by my presentation being held in a local old style movie theatre!  This is going to be fun!

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

You know what they say....Go on and kill them with kindness 'cause you just can't kill them! HA!

Have a terrific Thursday, folks!