Southwest Virginia Museum’s quilt show displays the art of practicality
April 2025
“A Stitch In Time” Quilt Show begins April 1 and continues through May 31. (courtesy Southwest Virginia Museum)
by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer
There may be several big stone houses in Big Stone Gap, Va., but one stands out in particular: the Southwest Virginia Museum.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, the museum is housed in a Victorian stone mansion from the 1890s, boasting an original oak interior. According to the museum’s website, its collection features over 60,000 pieces of furniture, folk art, historical artifacts and many other state-of-the-art exhibits that narrate the story of Southwest Virginia’s exploration and development, from the pioneer era of the early 1700s to the mining “boom and bust” period of the late 1800s. The museum also hosts numerous interpretive and special events throughout the year. One of these is the “A Stitch In Time” Quilt Show, which begins on April 1 and continues through May 31. Now in its 28th season, the event features quilts not only from the museum’s vast collection but also from community members who display their own quilts. “‘A Stitch In Time’ allows us an opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of our Appalachian heritage and what each of these quilts represent — a story woven with love, tradition and resilience,” says Gretchen Cope, park manager at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park.
Quilts from the museum’s collection and works by community members are on display as part of the event. (courtesy Southwest Virginia Museum)
Cope adds that quilts, as we generally know them in America, were originally strictly practical articles. They were borne of the necessity of providing warm bed covers and hangings for doors and windows that were not sealed well enough to keep out the cold. Because the earliest American quilts, made by English and Dutch settlers, were considered utilitarian and connected to the early colonists’ everyday life, little design information exists. Only in later years, when fabrics were being manufactured in America, making them more affordable and freeing quilt makers from the work of producing their own yarns and fabrics, did the more artistic type of quilting become more widespread.
“‘A Stitch In Time’ allows quilters to share stories through a deep dedication to their art and expression,” says Historic Preservation Specialist Burke Greear, “Remembering always that while a quilt is something we hold in our hands, art is something we hold in our hearts.”
For more information about the museum and the “A Stitch In Time” Quilt Show, visit dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/southwest-virginia-museum.