New England in The Fall
 
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This is where I live. Canal Place is an old mill built in 1909
Monday, October 17, 2011
     Now that all the Maine quilts are down, they must have condition reports completed, and be folded and repacked in their original shipping boxes or other containers.  That is primarily what I worked on today.  It was quite time consuming and I didn't get finished although I worked on it all day long.  It's fun to be this close to all these beautiful historical quilts.  It's not fun to do the folding, packing, and paperwork.  But, it all goes with the territory and proper care of these wonderful treasures is really important.  While I was doing that today, we had five or six great volunteers that came in to help hang the new quilts.  Some rearranging had to be done to accomplish that, and it all got finished.  The quilts are all up, and tomorrow the labels and some art work that arrived with the exhibition need to be placed throughout the gallery.   

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Sunday, October 16, 2011
     This morning came too early to say the least.  We drove the hour from Pam's house to the NEQM to begin taking down the Maine's Quilt Heritage exhibition, and preparing to install the next exhibition, Patience to Raise the Sun: Art Quilts from Haiti & Their Power to Change Women's Lives.  Another intern, Kate, came in today and we finished unpacking the quilts for the new exhibition and did all the condition reports.  Quite a job!  It was great to have Kate here.  It goes much quicker with two people, two pairs of hands, and two sets of eyes.   Kate is currently working at the Kennedy Museum in Boston, and has worked at the National American History Museum in Washington D.C.  She has a lot of training in museum and collection procedures so she is a good instructor for me.  Kate will be working at the NEQM on Saturdays.

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Marikay showing Mountain Mist patterns
Saturday, October 15, 2011
     Today was the symposium.  Everything went very well.  I functioned as NEQM staff and as a participant. We had an opening address from Madelyn Shaw, and then rotations to the other speakers began.  I spent the first two rotations at the NEQM in the quilt turning with Marikay.  She brought with her many original patterns from newspapers, magazines, and Mountain Mist wrappers.  We had several quilts that were either exactly the pattern she brought, or almost exactly the same.  One great example is a Ruby Short McKim pattern of The Three Little Pigs.  It was an embroidery pattern that had a series of blocks. One block was published in the newspaper each week.  We had a quilt in the NEQM collection that followed her pattern exactly. Pretty Cool!!  Marikay has a fabulous collection of historical patterns and articles.  One great source has been the patterns collected for thirty years by Mildred Dickerson,  Marikay stumbled upon this collection one day unexpectedly and purchased it.  OHH what a find!  Thank you Mildred for doing what Marikay advises us all to do: KEEP THE PAPER!  I promise Marikay I will do better!
     At lunch time the symposium moved to the American Textile History Museum where there is a cafe and a yummy buffet lunch.  Before the next session began, I had a chance to poke around the museum a little bit -- very cool!  I will have to go back.  They had an exhibit called Grace and Glamor: 1930's Fashions.  It was fabulous!  Then I watched a video about how baseballs are tested and torn apart to assure there is no tampering going on.  It was pretty darn amazing! . The topic of the lecture given by Giles Kotcher was decorative arts and designers 1920 - 1940.  He had a very interesting way of linking textiles to history.  For example, in the 1930s nylon stockings were developed, replacing the very expensive silk stockings.  60% of Japan's economy was supported by their silk exports.  75% of the silk consumed by the U.S. was used for silk stockings.  When nylons became available, the demand for silk plummeted, negatively impacting the Japanese economy.  This "event" contributed to Japan's economic issues that ultimately led them to look for other economic resources. 
Japan invaded China to expand their economy which was their gateway into World War II.  How's that for textiles impacting the world?
     The symposium ended with a keynote address by Marikay Waldvogel. Her topic was the role of quilts during the 1930s which closely followed her book Soft Covers for Hard Times.  She also had a great presentation about the Sears quilt contest at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair -- who won and why -- seems like a little hanky panky was going on.  Burst my bubble!  I thought all quilters were nice, like me!  All in all, it was a terrific day of textiles and learning!      

     Party Time! After our symposium guests left the museum, and things were put back together, Pam and I left for New Hampshire where we were invited to a party being thrown by one of her dearest friends, Katy.  Oh my my!  It was a gorgeous drive north and the party was fun fun fun.  She had a beautiful home on acreage and on the river to boot.  Too bad when we got there it was about dark, because I would love to see the grounds and the view!  Pam took me up some (many) winding narrow stairs to the cupola that is windows all around.  In the daytime, I can't even imagine the view.  There is a bed up there in that tiny room, so on occasion someone gets to sleep up there.  WOW!  What great sleeping!
     At this party, I heard all sorts of New England "gossip" and the story about how another of Pam's friends ran Aristotle Onassis out of town in the early 70s when he tried to buy up land options in an attempt to put an oil refinery in Durham.  Can you imagine?  Dudley Dudley went on to have a political career.  She was a heroine in the state of New Hampshire!  She is also very down to earth and modest.  When I was chatting with Dudley I asked her what she did and she described herself as "I have done a little of this, a little of that, a little politics."  Later Pam told me about the Aristotle incident.  Apparently even Jackie came to Durham.  My goodness!  What a terrific bash, complete with a great live band in the living room! 

 
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Marikay Waldvogel and Me!
Today was a busy day at the NEQM.  We are hosting a symposium with the American Textile History Museum tomorrow, Fabrics, Fashions, and Quilts: From the Armistice to Pearl Harbor.  Collections Manager Laura Lane and I changed out some objects in the permanent gallery.  We replaced quilts in the drawers of a dresser with fabrics, catalogs, and patterns from the 1930s.  These drawers are covered with plexi-glass, so they serve as another type of display case.  I learned a new word today: ephemera, which I thought referred to these miscellaneous objects.  But when I looked it up, the dictionary says "items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, especially pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc." So I guess it might be used because we only have these objects out temporarily. 
     We also brought about 15 or so period quilts upstairs from the collections vault and stacked them flat for a "quilt turning" tomorrow. Marikay Waldvogel, our keynote speaker, arrived in the early afternoon.  We all worked together putting out the quilts and arranging some artifacts.  We  had fun looking through some recently donated scrapbooks of pamphlets, and newspaper and magazine articles and patterns dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.  It was a treat to meet Marikay because she is a knowledgeable and respected authority in the field of historical quilts, patterns, designers, etc. She is a lecturer and has authored several scholarly articles and books.  I have read some of her articles as part of my coursework.  And wouldn't you know it, Mariy Kay is a Missouri girl just like me!

 
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Ipswich bobbin lace
This is bobbin lace that is in process.  The "pins" or bobbins are put in place on a pillow and thread is worked in a pattern.  You can see on the left side of the image the finished lace.  As the lace is finished, the bobbins are removed and placed on the other end so the lace is continuous.  I took this image today at Whipple House circa 1677 in Ipswich.  Ipswich was known for its lace making which was done by hand in the home.  It was a skill that was brought from England and passed from mother to daughter.  In mid 18th Century, lace making became an industry and women could trade a cord of wood or sixteen pounds of sheep's wool for a yard of lace. It was in style and sought after by the wealthy.  George Washington visited Ipswich to pay tribute to their lace making in 1789.  He took some black lace home to Martha!  By 1821, machinery to produce lace was imported from England.  Now that it was machine made, lace became less luxurious and lost its social prestige now that it was available to almost everyone.  While I was at Whipple House and Heard House circa 1800, I noticed a number of framed embroidered pieces.  I was pleasantly surprised, and would like to know more about them. 
     You know what they say: when in Rome, do what the Romans do.  So, of course I had to get some clams from Ipswich.  I went to the Clam Box, a local spot.  I knew it must be good because when I was here on Monday, there were people lined up out the door!  So I found it again and got some advice from another customer on what to order. Since he was a local, he was familiar with all the clam joints in the area.  He said this was the best and recommended fried clams.  So I ordered that.  They were good, but not great.  I don't think I've ever had clams before.  So, now I have!
     While I was in Ipswich, I went to the library and did indeed find some information about Thomas Dorman.  The book I found says he died in 1670 at the age of 70.  John Dorman, my ancestor, had a brother, Thomas, who was born about 1600.  They could be brothers.  I wonder what else I can find out about Thomas.  The records show he died in a town called Topsfield, a few miles away from Ipswich.  There is a will.  I wonder if I can see a copy of it and if it might give any more information about him, like where he was born?   I will call the woman who works with the archives and see what she is willing to do.  If there is a death certificate or will on file, maybe it will tell where he was born as well.

 
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One of my favorite quilts called "Jimmy Who?"
Today I met Maureen Smith, the marketing director for the museum.  Next week we will spend some time together and come up with a plan for the Web site.  I worked on more condition reports for the incoming quilts.  I found a button was missing on one; thankfully we had an image of the quilt so I could see it was missing.  I asked Pam if that needs to be reported to the owner of the quilt.  I wonder if they know it's missing?  Pam has had me document very carefully exactly which quilts are in each box.  She wants to return them after the show in the same manner in which they were received.  I spent a little bit of time with Laura, the collections manager today. As I unpacked the quilts for the exhibit and did condition reports, I put sheets between each quilt and stacked them on top of each other.  When Laura saw them, she told me that they usually stack the quilts on top of one another without sheets in between, because they don't have enough sheets.  I wonder if that is the customary practice in most museums?  It seems that if a quilt was contaminated in any way (and you likely would not know that) it could cause a huge upset to expose it to other quilts.  They don't have an isolation room, so there is no way to have any kind of control over the the things a quilt might bring into the museum.  Humm??? Is that a problem, or am I over thinking this? 
     I also continued working on my power point/catalogue adding information about the collection each quilt came from, maker, date, size.  These issues may seem mundane, but important to know and hard to track down sometimes!   
     The weather has turned cooler now and I'm afraid there will be no more days at the beach.  But, now the leaves will really turn and reach their peak soon!  I'd like to drive up to the Shelburne Museum in Vermont before they close at the end of the month. This weekend we are hosting a symposium on Saturday and we will be changing exhibits on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  The next weekend Pam and I will be in Winterthur at a needlework conference and the last weekend we will have our opening for Patience to Raise the Sun.  I don't know where I will find the time but there must be a way!

 
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Patience to Raise the Sun
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I continued to work on my power point and searched for additional quilts for the C&C exhibition coming up. Pam and I began condition reports for incoming quilts for the Patience to Raise the Sun Exhibition that will be hung next week. Pam said she is in favor of clean hands instead of using gloves when handling the quilts.  She said some museums are no longer using gloves because of they tend to pick up dirt which then can be transferred to other quilts. 
     So into the vaults we went. The NEQM is located in an old bank building.  There are two vaults complete with heavy steel doors.  That's where the quilts are kept; one holds their permanent collection, the other holds quilts that are on loan and is used for a little bit of other storage.  Frankly, there is a lot of junk in there and it could do with a good cleaning and reorganization -- let me at it!  The vault housing the permanent quilt collection is much larger and although not in perfect order, it does have an organization system.  All the quilts are in archival boxes and stored on labeled shelves.  I suppose there is a list somewhere of what goes where.  The BEST part is that all the boxes have an image attached to the outside so you know what's in that box!  I noticed they have a lot of crazy quilts in their collection.  I could see that just from walking through the vault.  I think vaults must be fireproof, so these are a good place to protect them in case of fire or flood (?). 
     The NEQM does not have a true isolation room.    Pam said there are insect traps in the museum, but they do not track the temperature and humidity at all. I think they need to make some strides in the way of organization and quality control to protect the quilts they house. Pam has acknowledged there are a number of procedures she would like to institute at the museum.  She started with the museum only three months ago, so she has lots of challenges ahead of her in evaluating current procedures and instituting changes she thinks will be good for the museum. 
Since the only thing I have to compare the NEQM with is the International Quilt Study Center (the best of the best!) I don't necessarily have a realistic point of reference.  This small museum (and many others like it I'm sure) has limited funds and manages to make them stretch a long way.  They don't have space for a true isolation room, and the vault where they receive quilts, and store those on loan that are not on exhibit, is small. 

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Crane Beach in Ipswich!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Today I went on the water tour of the canals in Lowell given by the Lowell National Historic Park.  It was interesting to see how the locks work and the ranger explained how the drops in the water in this area (37 feet) create the "water rush" and force that made the  water wheels turn underneath the factories to create the power/movement that ran the machines.  Unfortunately, the water levels were too high for us to go out on the Merrimack River.
     I also saw a movie at the park about the history of Lowell that went from farmland to industrial center in the early 19th Century to "blight" in the early to mid 20th Century to the revitalization beginning in the 1970s that it enjoys today.  This is a very busy community and the "come back" has been very successful!  Part of that revitalization has been the transformation of many of the mill and factory buildings into art studios, condominiums, and other things as well.  In fact, the condo where I live was once a mill.  That explains the 20+ foot ceilings and gigantic windows!
      This was such a BEAUTIFUL fall day -- sunny and 80 degrees -- the kind of day that you want to put in a can and pull it out in February!  I HAD to take advantage of it so I decided to drive to Ipswich, a small town on the coast of Massachusetts.  Thanks to Monica, my navigator, I drove "over the river and through the woods."  It was sooooo lovely :)  Some of the roads were canopied with colorful trees and lined with ponds, cottages, stately homes, and mom and pop businesses like the Clam Box. It was nothing less than picturesque.  Now this is what I think of when imagining New England in the fall!
     I arrived at the Ipswich visitor center after surviving the intersection from hell and driving over Choate Bridge, c. 1764, claimed to be the oldest bridge in America.  I knew the museum was closed today but since it was such a beautiful day, I wanted to go anyway just to check things out and see what the town was like. 
Ipswich was settled in 1625 and according to the records I've seen on line, Thomas Dorman was a resident there in 1634 - 1636.  My mother was a Dorman and her ancestor, John Dorman arrived in the colonies sometime before he married in Somerset, Maryland in 1638.  He had a brother named Thomas.  Was this Thomas in Ipswich him? The very helpful lady at the visitor center (what was her name???) sent me to the library, which was closed because it's Columbus Day.  But I'll be back!  She also told me that the Ipswich Museum does in fact have examples of lace made there centuries ago.  Lace making was a thriving industry in Ipswich at one time.  I want to see that stuff!
     Ipswich has many seemingly well preserved homes from the 17th and 18th Centuries.  Driving around these homes have oval plaques on the front of them with the date and (must be) surname of a family -- perhaps the first owner.  It was pretty amazing how many there are.  They all seem well kept.  I'm just amazed that so many are still standing!  When I come back to go to the museum, there are two, the 1670 Whipple House and 1800 Heard House, that I will tour.  Can't wait!
     It was such a gorgeous day, I HAD to go to the beach.  I had a map, and decided to try this one on my own, without Monica's help.  To my surprise, shock, and amazement, I got there without making any wrong turns.  Being from the Midwest, I knew there would be some culture shock.  I thought that would be about the people.  The people are great, but the roads are HORRID!  It's like someone threw a plate of spaghetti down on a map and made roads out of it!  No Kidding!  They make no sense, they aren't in straight lines, there are many one-way streets, they wind this way and than, they change names two or three times from one end to the other, and they all seem like one of those mazes we use to do in magazines on road trips when we were kids.  So, saying I made it to the beach without Monica is saying something!    
      Crane Beach was lovely and I'm so glad I decided to go.  There were many families there soaking what will probably be the last day of Indian Summer.  There were kites flying, Frisbee games, people riding horses along the beach, a few boats, and a lovely view.  I brought a blanket and a book, so I read and enjoyed the view -- I just took it all in.  I did venture down to stick my feet in the water -- I had to do that!!!  It was a bit chilly, but what a nice feeling to sink into the sand and feel the water rolling over my feet.  :) It was a great day and one to be remembered!

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Bales of cotton waiting to be spun
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Today, Pam and I went to Slater Mill in Rhode Island.  This is the home of the first power mill, spinning operation, in the United States.  Although there were plenty of powered mills in England, there weren't any in the U.S. until Samuel Slater, at age 21, immigrated to the U.S. and brought his knowledge and experience with him to build the equipment and use the water for power.  Thus, in the late 18th Century the industrial revolution that would change everything began.  Slater Mill is also the story of immigration, child labor, women's rights, artisans, cotton and the development of labor. 
     Pam gave a talk about the history of the textile industry in New England.  She also brought a few quilts to show period fabrics and quilt patterns. This day was also the day that quilt and textile art guilds meet at Slater Mill.  They brought their wares, and many were practicing their craft.  That was fun and I even learned to spin cotton -- well sort of using very simple tools.  But there were spinning wheels going!  We looked around in the mill a little bit, but didn’t have a whole lot of time. We did get to look at quite a bit of machinery, although it wasn't operating, athough didn't get to take a formal tour.  I’ll have to go back if time permits!
      After leaving the mill, we drove to the home of Doug Stark to review his collection of political memorabilia including buttons, ribbons, and framed handkerchiefs.  What a nice collection he had!  Some of the framed pieces will be hung and some ribbons will be used in the show cases that are part of the C&C exhibit.  Pam and I took photos of his framed handkerchiefs and some of the ribbons. We'll review them and decide what to use in context with the other objects in the show.  In December, Pamela will return and collect the items that will be used during the exhibition.

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Saturday, October 8, 2011
Today I continued working with the exhibit workbook.  I scanned images of each quilt, cropped them, and began creating a power point presentation for the exhibit.  Each page included an image of the quilt, the quilt name, and year or range of years represented.  There is a text area where I will be able to add more information about the quilt.  I think this is the beginning of my catalogue.  But for now, it is a great electronic working document where I can keep notes, and always have an image at hand.  I also printed a contact sheet of all the quilts we have images for.  There are a handful of quilts we have no images for.  I look back on this day and think about how long it took to do this, but it doesn't sound like much!

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Teddy Roosevelt Handkerchief Quilt
Friday, October 7, 2011
Today I organized the exhibit workbook and worked on Excel spread sheets Pam had started for the C & C exhibit.  This gave us a snap shot view of the quilts, and the stage where they currently are – received, paperwork sent, paperwork needs to be sent, terms still being negotiated, or quilts still being sought after.  This is a working document and will be updated as information is available and as conditions change.  I organized the document first in categories of the status of the quilt; a second document was created which put the quilts in date order so we could see where the gaps of time are and where we need additional quilts to fill in. 

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The Lone Star Kennedy Memorial Quilt
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Pam introduced me to the Campaigns and Commemoratives: Quilts for Presidents Exhibition that opens in January.  We reviewed the quilts, and sorted which ones still need to be tracked down, and the status (paperwork received, still negotiating details, etc.) of the others slated to be in the show. Pam has a notebook where she has kept all her notes, images, emails, etc. for each quilt she is including in the show.  She explained to me how this evolves into a legal document because of the loan agreements, receipt of the quilt, condition reports, etc. 
    Pam set me loose a little bit and I was able to track down a website for Charlotte Christainsen Bass – her quilt The Grand Old Party is one we would like to have for the show.  Pam wants to represent a balance of political viewpoints, but she said she is having trouble finding anything that represents Republicans. 
      We spent some time in the museum library.  WOW WOW WOW!!!!  They have almost 4000 books related to quilting and textiles.  Some are duplicates that are loaned out to museum members.  They have a database in house of their book collection that they would like to get on line. 
     Pam and I met with Connie to discuss the Website.  I told her they need to set short term and long term goals for their site.  I asked about the possibility of getting a grant to have the site completely redesigned using current technology and bringing the “look” up to date.  I also suggested they partner with the University of Massachusetts here in Lowell and see if she can plant the seeds for an on-going relationship with them for technology and graphic design assistance.  Connie has a contact with UMass through the husband of a board member and she will pursue this idea.   We discussed what changes they wanted for their site in the short term.  Maureen Smith, the person who keeps their current site up-to-date is out of town until next week, so our discussion was a bit limited.  


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The New England Quilt Museum
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I found the museum!  It's only about two blocks from my new home away from home. On the way, I passed the Lowell National Park Visitor Center.  When I arrived I joined an already-in-progress staff meeting with Director Connie Barlow, Curator Pamela Weeks, Collections Manager Laura Lane,  Community Outreach Coordinator Rhoda Galpern, Office Manager Joan Ciolino, and Shop Manager Quita Schillhammer.  Connie was very welcoming and graciously thanked me for the gift of 300 hours of my time!  I am very appreciative of this wonderful opportunity and can't wait to get into the thick of things :)
      Pam gave me an abbreviated tour of the museum and filled me in about who’s who, and things that were discussed at the staff meeting.  Then we went to get coffee and get acquainted.  Later, I talked with Quita about her hopes for an on-line shop presence, and Polly, one of the many dedicated volunteers, about her comfort level of maintaining the shop page on the Web site.  Mostly today was getting acquainted with the staff and the museum.
     One thing about NEQM that is not what I expected is their large shop.  When you enter the museum from the front door, you are in the shop.  They have quite a variety of items to purchase: antique sewing tools, quilt kits, antique and new quilts, small journal-sized art quilts, fabric, thread, jewelry, jackets, blankets with star designs, books, greeting cards, tote bags, and an array of consignment items including old (antique maybe?) fabric sample cards from the manufacturer.  The list goes on and on! It's not the typical museum shop since you can actually purchase sewing supplies there!
    The museum gallery is upstairs.  Currently there is a show called Maine's Quilt Heritage.  This weekend it will come down, and the next show, Patience to Raise the Sun: Art Quilts from Haiti & their Power to Change Women's Lives will go up. So we will be working Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and maybe Wednesday changing over the exhibition.  A lot of work, but a great experience for me!

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The Lowell Girls at the Mill
Monday, October 3, 2011
Today I arrived in Lowell.  It was raining and nearly dark, but I made it!  It's been three days of driving and over 1400 miles.  When I was in junior high, we lived for a brief two years near White Plains, New York.  Other than brief trips to Boston and NYC, I've never spent any length of time in this part of the country.  I'm excited to say the least!
     I've always though it would be wonderful to see fall in New England and now here I am.  The leaves are beginning to turn, but the colors haven't peaked yet.
     While I am here working at the New England Quilt Museum, I have a room with Mariette and Jim Auger in their condo.  It's so nice because it's within walking distance of the museum.  I have access to a parking garage for a small fee which I didn't appreciate until I arrived.  Unlike home, parking space is prime property.  Those that have a space in the parking lot of the condominium purchased them for $10,000 - $20,000.  YIKES!
      Mariette is an incredible cook and she loves it, so let's just say we've worked out an "arrangement."
  By the way she's French, so think about what her cooking must be like.  Whatever you just thought of, her cooking is better than that!  What a treat.  Besides which Mariette and Jim are nice, easy to get along with and they treat me really well.  I think this is going to work out very well.  My room is spacious, and has two great big windows that overlook the canal.  There is no extra storage in these condos -- no locked storage space in the basement or anything like that.  So, you can imagine how precious space is.  I have stored my suitcase in my car because there is no where else to put it!  Pam (the curator) will not be in the museum tomorrow so that means I will have the day to settle in and get organized. 
     I'm so happy to be here and I am looking forward to the adventure.  Not only do I have the opportunity to work at a quilt museum with Connie Barlow and Pamela Weeks, Lowell is such an important area in the history of textiles and the industrial revolution.  And of course, there are many other places in the area that were key as well.  I have a long list of places I want to visit while I'm here.  There are so many that I'm afraid I will run out of time. That's the kind of problem I like to have! 


    Cindy DeLong

    Hi!   I 'm working on my MA in Textile History with an emphasis in Quilt Studies at the University of Nebraska.  I have been fortunate enough to land an internship with the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts.  This blog is about my great adventure! 

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