Billings Farm & Museum’s 35th Annual Quilt Exhibition Piecing the Past to the Present July 17 – August 22, 2021
WOODSTOCK, VERMONT… Billings Farm & Museum will host its Annual Quilt Exhibition, on site and online from July 17 through August 22, featuring quilts made by Windsor County quilters. For 35 years, Billings Farm & Museum has played a significant role promoting and encouraging the quilting tradition in Windsor County. Still considered both a creative and utilitarian household craft, renewed interest in the tradition dovetails with the museum’s mission of celebrating Vermont’s rural culture.
Explore this colorful display of juried contemporary quilts made by Windsor County quilters and historical quilts from the museum’s collection. See hand quilting demonstrations and enjoy challenging scavenger hunts for young and old. Vote for your favorite large and small quilts to be selected for the People’s Choice Award. Our virtual exhibition will feature the contemporary quilts and in-depth conversations with the jurors as to how the design, color, fabrics and technical skills play a part in determining the winning quilts.
Five quilts from our historic quilt collection will be on display during the Quilt Exhibition. The techniques and patterns in these quilts from the 1870s-1900s are typical examples of the late 19th century handwork. Visitors will see that some of these traditional patterns have been used in this year’s exhibit, giving tradition a contemporary twist.
Challenge quilts made by the Heart of the Land Quilters’ Guild from the Hartland, Vermont area will also be on display. A quilt challenge requires specific design and construction rules agreed upon by guild members, with the goal of improving their quilting skills. For 2021, guild members paired up quilt blocks of reproduction fabrics from the late 1800s with blocks of contemporary fabrics. These quilt blocks will be used to make “heartwarmer quilts” for families in need.
Visiting safely. Billings Farm & Museum follows guidance from the CDC and the Vermont Forward Plan to determine our protocols. For the continued safety of our staff and guests, all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a face covering in all indoor spaces. For outdoor spaces, mask wearing is optional for fully-vaccinated persons; unvaccinated persons must wear masks when around people and unable to maintain 6’ physical distances. No entry is permitted without a face covering. Visit billingsfarm.org/safety for details.
Billings Farm & Museum, now in its 39th season, is open daily, 10AM-5PM, through October 31 and weekends 10AM-4PM, November-February. Find the Special Events Calendar, daily schedules, admission pricing and membership information at billingsfarm.org. Celebrate Billings Farm’s 150th Anniversary with a visit this season and support its education mission at billingsfarm.org/donate.
The Billings Farm & Museum is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation Inc., a charitable non-profit institution. Billings Farm & Museum is committed to providing educational opportunities and experiences to our visitors, whether here in Woodstock, Vermont or at home wherever you are through our online resources at Billings Farm at Home. Visit us on billingsfarm.org, and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/BillingsFarmMuseum/ and Instagram at instagram.com/billingsfarm/.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILLINGS FARM & MUSEUM: From the 2020 Quilt Exhibition: Square in a Square by Judi Simon-Bouton, White River Jct., VT
