Quilting Inspiration

Quilting is a craft that has a rich and beautiful history. Whether you are a quilter or a designer, you will find great color and pattern inspiration from quilting. Today we are sharing a few of our favorite places to find quilting inspiration.

If you’re in Washington, perhaps visiting us in Seattle, be sure to visit the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum. The museum is located in La Conner, an hour North of Seattle. The collection is housed in a refurbished historic mansion.

The Smithsonian’s National Quilt Collection, in D.C., is quite robust dating back to the 1890s. This collection also has a wonderful online database for browsing the quilts.

Not to be confused with the Smithsonian, there is also the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. This museum boasts a beautiful collection that rotates quite frequently. The museum has exhibits that rotate 8-10 times a year, that is in addition to their permanent collection of over 500 pieces.

The San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, in San Jose, CA, was the first museum in the United States to focus exclusively on quilts and textiles. They have a beautiful, and large (over 1000 textiles), permanent collection, as well as travelling exhibits and educational programs.

Lastly, we love the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska. The museum is located on the University of Nebraska’s campus and boasts the largest collection of publically owned quilts in the world. They have over 5000 quilts from 50 different countries.

Enjoy!