Historic Deerfield Ma. quilt exhibit

February 2003 (newsletter) from Quilter’s Muse Publications

Snow, snow, snow. That seems to be all that Mother Nature has on her mind these days. We woke up to two more inches of the white stuff on top of the glare ice caused by dropping temperatures and the all day drizzle of yesterday. This winter will probably go on record as the coldest, most windy, most snowy one in a long time. Today is a good day to sit and quilt and perhaps look outside once in awhile to admire the beauty of the winter birds scurrying for food at the feeders, and the branches decorated with a layer of white frosting.

The quilt season for guilds is almost here. In New England, the first show around here usually happens in March. For the most part, we enjoy the smaller shows the best, especially those in rural areas because they often feature more antique quilts. Of course, the larger shows have more vendors and more of a selection of beautiful, contemporary quilts, so it is always a toss-up in terms of measuring which we might enjoy more.

Historic Deerfield Ma. house

We visited Historic Deerfield, Inc. to see the exhibit, “Telltale Textiles.” We always love to visit this museum which is located in Massachusetts. On warmer days, it is pleasant to stroll along the tree-lined streets, stopping to visit the houses that comprise the museum. The guided tours which are available are a look into life as it was in other centuries. Deerfield has a rich textile collection: bed hangings, embroidered coverlets (formerly called coverlids), quilts of many styles, including a stenciled one that I love, and at least one wool, embroidered bed rug. The special exhibit of quilts will be on display until March 2004. For more information about the museum, please see their website:
http://www.historic-deerfield.org/

Historic Deerfield Ma gift shop
The Deerfield gift shop

Given our weather right now, it is it is hard to believe that anyone on this planet is “too hot” or “has just gone swimming outside” or is “doing some gardening.“ Yet, friends from around the world are reporting these events, so it must be true. The seed catalogs arriving daily are a hint that spring IS around the corner. Wherever you are, we hope that you are doing some creative things, especially quilting!

Pat and Jim