| Where is your quilt museum? |
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| January 18, 2008 |
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There is only one registered quilt museum in the state of Florida. Quick quiz: Do you know where the quilt museum is?
Instant answer: Chiefland.
The Levy County Quilt Museum is located off Alternate US 27 south of Chiefland. Opened in 2000, the spacious museum resides inside a large log cabin building with wraparound porches and lots of rocking chairs. The building, though modern, looks like a piece of old Cracker Florida.
Step inside and it is a sight to behold. There is so much it is almost overwhelming. Quilts hang on high walls. Some have stories of their history attached. Long tables are stacked with quilt pieces for sale, quilted baby blankets and quilt pillow covers. If it is quilted, they have it. And think handmade, not machine made. Members of the Log Cabin Quilters make most items.
If you want to see quilters in action, come on Thursday anytime from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That is the day the quilters gather together to work on projects. In a room off to the left of the big main room, quilters work separately and in groups. The Log Cabin Quilters dreamed for years of having a quilt museum where they could meet and people could come and learn about quilts. They accomplished their dream.
Winnelle Horne is the resident den mother and guiding light of the museum. She's very likely to ask if you'd like to stay for lunch on Thursday. The quilters bring potluck. It’s sure to be Southern comfort food.
Quilt patterns are dizzying in their differences. You'll see geometric shapes, landscapes, animals, flowers along with quilt themes from history and Americana.
Once a year the quilters put on a Quilt Festival at the museum. It always starts the day after Thanksgiving and lasts for ten days. Chances are sold for a drawing on a handmade quilt.
The neat thing to me is seeing quilters at work and realizing they are creating heirlooms, handmade pieces of art that will be passed on to generations of family.
Levy County Quilt Museum address: 11050 N.W. 10th Avenue, Chiefland, phone (352) 493-2801. |
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| A section of a prize-winning quilt at Levy County Quilt Museum |
| Credit: Lucy Beebe Tobias, VISIT FLORIDA Authentic Florida Expert |
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