The Virginia Quilt Museum will exhibit quilts made and collected by Hazel Carter of Vienna, Va., from May 22 to Aug. 18.
This is the first exhibit to feature her quilts even though her name is familiar to quilters across the country.
She is recognized as a quilt historian and appraiser, a founding member and organizer of Quilters Unlimited of Northern Virginia, a group of more than 1,000 quilters. Hazel laid the ground work for retreats, conferences, shows, museums and preservation of quilts before the 1970’s resurgence of quilting as a craft, hobby and art. She produced the Continental Quilting Congress, an early national gathering of quilters, historians and instructors, which held ten national seminars.
She spearheaded the Quilters Hall of Fame located in Marian, Indiana, wrote numerous magazine articles and the introduction to Quilts of Virginia 1607-1899 published by the Virginia Consortium of Quilters.
This exhibit will feature five antique quilts, the oldest being circa 1835, and 12 miniature quilts from Hazel’s collection as well as twenty nine quilts and wall hangings made by Hazel. They are all hand quilted with one exception.
For all of Hazel Carter’s research, writing and organizing, her main interest has always been simply quilting, being with other quilters, exchanging ideas and techniques. She started her first quilt in 1942 under the influence of her Mother and Grandmother in Iowa. She remains a quilter who advises museums, appraises and records significant quilts and supports the preservation of all kinds of quilting from traditional to embellished fiber art work.
This exhibit is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Old Dominion Applique Society and Carolyn Lynch. The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm at 301 South Main Street, Harrisonburg. Parking in the municipal lot behind the museum is free. Phone 540-433-3818 for information.
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