Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton Missouri- phase 2

Work has started on the Phase Two renovations of the Missouri Quilt Museum. The
museum is located in the 100-year-old former Hamilton High School. Phase Two renovations
will include the buildings gymnasium and lower level.
Spokesperson for the museum, Dakota Redford, said the renovations will include a
second quilt gallery, 4 new exhibits, and several hands-on classrooms. Redford also announced
a special permanent display for the second gallery.
“We are extremely excited to announce that the Missouri Quilt Museum has partnered
with the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, and will host a permanent gallery for
the National Quilt Museum.” “The National Quilt Museum has one of the best and most
comprehensive quilt collections in the world.” Redford said. “We will be hosting a revolving
exhibit of their quilts.”
The National Quilt Museum Gallery will be located in the gymnasium section of the
building. The collection will be rotated quarterly, Redford said. “We will have a fresh exhibit
from the National Quilt Museum every three months. And with our other galleries, there will be
something new every month at the museum.”
Planned exhibits FOR Phase Two include Elias Howe’s Workshop, a Native American
exhibit, and Underground Railroad Quilt exhibit and a Flour Sack exhibit.

“The Missouri Quilt Museum is not a traditional quilt museum,” Redford said. “In
addition to numerous quilt displays, we are presenting a series of exhibits that tell the history of
quilting in North America. Quilts have played an important role in our history,” Redford said,
“and we want to tell that story.
Redford cited the current Log Cabin Exhibit at the museum. “We have on display a quilt
that was made in 1834. It is a paper piece quilt in which pieces of fabric were cut and sewn onto
pieces of paper as the quilt was being made. As paper was scarce in those days, handwritten
letters were cut up and used as the paper to make the quilt,” Redford said. “And back then,
quilts were made for warmth, so the pieces of the paper were left in the quilt. You can find out
what was actually happening back in 1834 by reading the snippets of letters used in this quilt.”
The museum also has over 500 toy sewing machines on display, thimbles from around the
world, and a growing collection of antique sewing machines and irons. Outside of the museum
is the World’s Largest Spool of Thread. The spool stands 22 feet tall and contains over 1 million
yards of thread.
The Missouri Quilt Museum is open Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. A $10
donation is requested as the price of admission. Private tours are also available. Information
can be found online at www.missouriquiltmuseum.com or by calling 435-849-2564.