Somewhere in Nebraska

So Tues we drove and drove so that we could arrive yesterday in Lincoln Nebraska in time to visit the International Quilt Studies Museum.  There are currently 3 exhibits at the museum in the 2nd floor gallery.

The gallery has a wonderful layed out and is well lit and the lights even turn off when no motion is detected to save light exposure to the quilts!

The show in the first wing of the gallery is called...

I learned a lot about indigo not to mention viewing some stunning quilts!

This was one of the oldest quilts in the exhibit (early 1800's).  The sashing fabric was beautiful but the reason it was included in the show was because it had some examples of indigo fabrics that show some of the earliest type of indigo printing which was accomplished by brushing the dye directly onto the cloth.

This is a whole cloth quilt made with a toile 'like' print.  It's not considered a true toile du Jouy because the dimensions of the print are to small but it is like a toile because of the all over pattern of a pastoral scene. Also early 1800's.

This is a print produced by applying a paste on the white areas like a resist technique.  This dates from 2nd quarter of 1800's but the fabric could be older because it is thought that the fabric was scavenged from bed curtains.  Notice the odd seams in the lower right of the center.

It's hard to see the little dots are tiny 5 pointed stars.  I have a quilt top with this same print.  This print was produce around the time of the first centennial =1875 but I always thought that the style of applique on my top looked much older and I think based on this quilt it maybe...

Sorry the description got cut off I could not get the whole card in the frame and get it big enough to read at the same time.

There were several quilts showing how once copper roller techniques were perfected and then synthetic    dyes were discovered and indigo dyes became commercially very wide spread (later part of the 1800's.  I liked this example the best.  I just love the medallion layout.

Of course what show about indigo would be complete without a denim quilt!

This quilt was made by a contemporary quilter, whose name I should know but do not recall; but it certainly shows how beautiful a monochromatic color scheme can be!

Well I've gone on enough I'll share the other galleries pix in

my next post! cheers, CW