Quilts and quilt making are the main attractions when it comes to Nebraska's crafts. The tradition of quilt making in the Cornhusker State began with the early pioneers. Since that time, it has remained an invaluable aspect of the local crafts culture. You'll find a number of organizations throughout the state dedicated to the art of quilt making that exhibit both historic and modern needlework. Quite a few festivals are also held in the state, featuring many other crafts besides quilts.
Nebraska Quilts
Quilt making has a long-running heritage in Nebraska, as it was an important skill for the pioneer women who settled in the state. You can view the needlework of Nebraskans from as early as the 18th century at the Museum of Nebraska History in Lincoln. The museum features a revolving exhibit of quilts out of the collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society and the International Quilt Study Center. The works of several noteworthy seamstresses are housed at the museum, including Martha Allis Hollins. Hollins' appliqué quilt Wreath of Roses, which she sewed in 1860, is the oldest known surviving quilt to have been made in Nebraska. She made Wreath of Roses for her wedding to Captain William George Hollins, which was held in 1861 in Omaha. Adorned with a wedding design typical for the period, the quilt bears the signature "M. A. Hollins 1860" under an eagle motif. Another of Nebraska's historic quilt makers was seven year-old Hannah Will, who pieced together a nine-patch chain quilt in 1870. Will's quilt is now part of the museum's collection as well.
For more exhibits of historic quilts, visit the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, also located in Lincoln. The museum's collection features quilts from all over the world spanning several centuries, and is the largest publicly held quilt collection in the world. In 1997, the Quilt Study Center formed with a donation of 950 quilts from Ardis and Robert James. Since its founding, the center has worked to study, preserve, discover and exhibit quilts and quilt making traditions from various international cultures and time periods. The center displays new public quilt exhibits annually, providing museumgoers with fresh and interesting quilts at each show. Past quilt exhibitions have included "African-American Quilts from the Robert and Helen Cargo Collection," "Fanciful Flowers: Botany and the American Quilt," and "At the Crossing: Midwestern Amish Crib Quilts and the Intersection of Cultures."
To find out more about the craft of quilt making in the Cornhusker State, contact the Nebraska State Quilt Guild. Founded in 1985, the guild provides the community with "friendship and quilts," continuing the legacy and tradition of quilt making through "education, inspiration, and fellowship." Throughout the year, the guild hosts a number of quilt events around the state, including the If Quilts Could Talk gathering and QuiltNebraska at Chadron State College. Another quilting event hosted by the guild, Threads Across Nebraska, features the works from quilt makers from the Midwest and around the country.
Aside from the quilt events held by the Nebraska State Quilt Guild, a number of other festivals celebrate the art of quilt making in the Cornhusker State. The Chadron Festival of Quilts debuted in 1995 and has since grown from a small event to an extremely successful quilt show drawing tourists and quilt lovers from all over. The three-day long event is held in the spring (generally in April), with a themed challenge quilt contest judged by the festival's committee. The Lincoln Quilters Guild Quilt Show is another of Nebraska's quilting events, held once every two years in the capital city of Lincoln. Their shows generally take place in May or June of even-numbered years, with the 2008 show entitled "A Quilter's Compass: Turning Freely On a Pivot."
Craft Shows and Festivals
Quilts aren't the only craft celebrated in Nebraska. Plenty of other craft events feature not only quilts, but other forms of craftsmanship as well. Springtime is a particularly good time to find crafts festivals throughout the state. The crafts festival An Arts and Crafts Affair was voted in the top 100 craft shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine. Sponsored by Huffman Productions, Inc., the festival takes place twice a year. The spring festival runs from late March to early April, while the autumn festival is held from mid-October to early November. The festival tours various locations in the Midwest, stopping in Omaha during its stay in Nebraska.
Besides Omaha, the city of Lincoln hosts the Season of Crafts event, the Lincoln Arts Festival at South Pointe Pavilions, and the Silver Hawk Fine Arts and Crafts Fair. Elsewhere, you'll find such craft celebrations as the Spring Fling Craft Giftique in Columbus. In Grand Island, the Jones Arts and Crafts Show is held at the Conestoga Mall in March, while the city of Beatrice has its own Spring Crafts Show at the Indian Creek Mall. One of Nebraska's longer-running craft events is the Annual Nebraska Mennonite Quilts and Crafts festival, which has been a tradition in Aurora for almost 30 years. Other craft shows you may want to check out while vacationing in Nebraska include Spring Festival Craft Show (Kearny), Spring Arts and Crafts Show (North Platte), and the Arts and Crafts Show in Scottsbluff, to name a few.
When seeking out crafts in Nebraska, you're sure to come across a wide variety of quilts at museums and quilt shows. In addition, you can get your fill of other kinds of crafts in the Cornhusker State by attending a local crafts festival. Crafts play an important role in Nebraska's folk life, and visiting craft venues and festivals can be a fun addition to your vacation.
