Archives

In 2008 The Museum Of The American Quilters' Society was awarded the status of the National Quilt Museum of the United States. Philippa's 2003 Best of Show quilt 'Lime Light' was chose to be reproduced as a large mural on the outer wall of the museum. Philippa was asked to write a few words about her work and this is what is written on the plaque next to the mural:

'I consider myself to be a 'contemporary' quilter rather than an 'art' quilter, and by that I mean that my quilts are very much a modern interpretation of traditional quilts of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspiration often comes directly from a traditional quilt, the design being updated by the use bright hand dyed fabrics, by curving all the seams and then stitching the three layers of the quilt (the top, batting and backing) together, by machine, with free flowing patterns.
'Lime Light' is a good example of this as it was inspired by the traditional 'New York Beauty' block, was made over a period of six months and took several hundred hours to complete.
There are many processes to work through when making a quilt, and for me each of these is of equal importance and all are a pleasure. These include creating the design, dyeing fabric, drafting the pattern, making templates, cutting the fabric and sewing the many sections together to produce the quilt top. Then comes the design of the machine quilting patterns, transferring these designs to the quilt top, pinning the three layers of the quilt together, stitching the quilting designs, adding a couple of rows of contrasting the piping to the edge of the quilt, sewing on the binding and finally choosing a name for the quilt, making the label and sewing it place. I love the total immersion of working intensively on one quilt for several months. There are so many stages to work through that it is almost impossible to get bored.

Some pieces of work seem naturally to be what I describe as "a happy piece of work", where everything goes together like a dream and the finished result says everything I want it to say. 'Lime Light' was just such a piece and presented me with no design or technical problems. My aim is to create a dramatic piece of work that will call to you from across the room and invite you to step up close and explore the detail. To share with you the absolute pleasure that making a quilt gives me. To inspire you to make a quilt, or to try a new technique in your quilt-making. Or simply for you to go away feeling that the quilt has lifted your day, even if it is just for a few moments!'

NationalQuiltMuseum.org

April 29, 2008
"For more than 15 years, the Museum of the American Quilter's Society has been a cultural, educational and economic pillar of Paducah and the surrounding region," congressman Whitfield said. "This American treasure has long deserved national recognition and I am pleased my colleagues in the House and Senate have joined with me to give this museum the distinction it has earned.?"

The House passed S. 2739, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which designates the Paducah Quilt Museum as the National Quilt Museum of the United States.

The Museum of the American Quilter's Society will join a select group of less than twenty nationally designated museums, which include the Smithsonian museums, the American Art Museum and the National Museum of Health and Medicine, among others.

The Paducah museum averages 40,000 visitors per year from across the country and has had visitors from 25 foreign countries. These tourists spend money in Paducah and the surrounding areas, and, as a result, help bring economic benefits to the community. Designation of the facility as a National Museum will bring additional attention to the area and help increase the number of visitors.

The Museum of the American Quilter's Society is a non-profit institution established to educate, promote, and honor today's quilt makers. The Museum started over 16 years ago and is the largest Quilt Museum in the world. The Museum has three exhibit galleries, the largest quilt exhibit space of any Quilt Museum. This space provides over 13,400 square feet for the museum to showcase over 150 quilts year-round.

Quilts in the Museum's permanent collection have been made by quilters from 44 of the 50 states and a number of foreign countries. The museum also offers workshops and educational opportunities for children and adults alike.