Public Events --

Illinois' Largest and Craziest Paper Quilt Project

Illinois' Largest and Craziest Paper Quilt Project

• Location: ISM Lockport Gallery, Lockport
• Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011 through Sunday, June 19, 2011 , 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Have you ever thought about making a quilt, but felt intimidated by the time, effort and skill required?  If so, we have the perfect event for you!

During Old Canal Days weekend, the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery will host Illinois’ Largest and Craziest Paper Quilt Project, offered free of charge to “would-be quilters” of all ages.  We invite you to create a crazy quilt block using the paper, crayons, stickers, and other materials provided, instead of the more conventional fabric and thread.  Bring your quilt block to life by filling the template with your favorite colors. Mimic the fancy embroidery of traditional crazy quilts with your own creative drawings, or personalize your art work by adding your name.  The possibilities are limitless!

Throughout the weekend, the quilt blocks will be joined to make quilt-sized assemblages that will be displayed, in rotation, on the museum’s open walls.  Following Old Canal Days, the resulting paper quilts will be joined into a single, gigantic quilt and documented for posterity.  Each “quilter” will receive a participation badge and may return to the museum to claim his or her quilt block after the completion of the project.

This activity will take place indoors in the main gallery of the museum.  Participants will be surrounded by the exquisite cloth quilts contained in the current exhibition Amish and “English”: Quilts from the Illinois State Museum Collection.  Two of these quilts are examples of crazy quilts made at the end of the 19^th century and served as the inspiration for this project.