Wishing Every Day Was National Quilting Day

Published on March 18, 2022 | Last updated on March 17, 2023 by Beatrice Alvarez

Every third Saturday of March is a day to celebrate the rich tradition of quiltmaking. The Quilt Alliance and the National Quilt Museum recall the origins of this day: a "Quilter's Day Out" organized by the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society in 1989. The day for local quilters to show their makes and share the love of the craft was a success. Participating quilters elected to make it a national event thereafter. The first National Quilting Day was observed in 1992. So get your quilts out and display them with pride this Saturday! And remember, keep on quilting. Or at least enjoy these stories about quilters and their beautiful quilts.

Quilts | Craft in America

Contemporary quilters understand that however they came to be quilters, they carry a long tradition of quilting in our country's history. Learn about the diverse and culturally significant traditions in quilting in this episode of Craft in America dedicated to the art of quiltmaking.

Quilted Education

From Reel South:

In a time when books are banned and discussions around race are curtailed, Karen Hinton Robinson takes on the responsibility of teaching Black history beyond the institution. In this mother-daughter interview, the historian and skilled quilter explains how her craft is used to supplement education by creating quilts that document the important figures of Black history, missing in Texas schools.

A Look at Bisa Butler’s Quilted Portraits at Art Institute

Bisa Butler's quilted portraits are stunning. Her textiles capture a moment time yet tell layered stories of music, Black culture, and history. WTTW's Chicago Tonight spoke with Butler when her quilts were on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. The interview is enlightening and inspiring.

Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend

If you quilt, you know about the incredibly talented quiltmakers of Gee's Bend, Alabama. The community in Gee's Bend traces its quiltmaking roots to the enslaved people who lived there. The craft has been taught and passed down from generation to generation since. Each quilt from the Gee's Bend quiltmakers is a piece of art and a piece of history, revealing so much in every piece of fabric and stitch. In this 2004 documentary from Alabama Public Television, we visit Gee's Bend and accompany a few of the quiltmakers who traveled to see their quilts exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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Meet Mohawk quilter Carla Hemlock

In this interview with Mountain Lake PBS Mohawk quilter Carla Hemlock discussed how she started quilting and how she continues to expand her artwork. Hemlock includes her family's beadwork in her own quilting and draws upon her Mohawk cultural meanings in her designs. We see time and again across communities, quilting and handicraft have a firm place in storytelling and intergenerational learning.

Visit the Fabric of a Nation quilt art exhibit

Last year Boston's Museum of Fine Arts presented an exhibition dedicated to, you guessed it, quilts. The history of America has been told in quilts, from textile history to social change, you can find all of those stories in the patchwork. Newshour takes us to the museum to learn more.

Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel

Special programming from PBS North Carolina:

Starting in 1978, Georgia Bonesteel helped teach and popularize quilting through this long-running series. Produced by PBS North Carolina and filmed throughout North Carolina, the United States and across the world, the series highlights the art, craft and creativity of quiltmaking.