If you’re interested in sewing, fashion, textiles, or quiltmaking in specific, you’re sure to love the American Folklife Center’s beautifully curated Quilts and Quiltmaking Collection. This collection features the history of quiltmaking in America from 1978 to 1996, with a more modern exploration of this intricate craft.

This collection combines material from The Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project and the Land’s End Collection, both parts of the American Folklife Center. The Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project told a narrative about historic and newly made quilts over the years in and around the border of North Carolina and Virginia, using six quiltmakers and their work to epitomize the history of the craft. The Land’s End Collection features 181 winners of state and national quilting competitions in 1992, 1994, and 1996 and represents excellent design and skill during that period. Combined, these two collections form one beautiful, historical representation of American quiltmaking and the people behind it.

This collection is incredibly vast, with historical items that tell the story of American quiltmaking in a variety of different formats. It includes 410 photos, 181 audio files, and a number of well-written articles and essays that history buffs and quilters alike will love. And you can see it all online!

Quilts and Quiltmaking in America, 1978 – 1996 [Library of Congress]

Public Domain/Public Domain