Webster Museum talk presents a journey through the history of quilting

18 Mar

The Webster Museum cordially invites everyone to a presentation by local quilt historian Beth Davis on Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m.

Beth has worked at The Genesee Country Village Museum and until recently was an American Quilter Society Certified Appraiser of Quilted Textiles. She is retired from both, preferring now to focus on her love of quilt making. She excels at both documenting oral history (having contributed to Quilters Save Our Stories, the largest oral history collection about quilt makers in the world) and documenting in written form (having written the GCVM catalog on their quilt collection). Beth is also the author of A Stitch in Time: Quilts From Genesee Country Village and Museum.

Beth will talk about the history of quilting and its many variations and applications. Time will be provided after the presentation to view the quilts displayed in exhibit areas throughout the museum.

The presentation is scheduled for Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. at the museum, 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster. There’s no cost to attend this program, but registration is required, and the seats are filling up quickly. Visit webstermuseum.org, and you’ll be directed to where you can sign up. Limit two people per registration.

Here’s a bit more about the museum’s current exhibit of quilts, which they call “Stitched Stories: a Celebration of Vintage Quilts”:

At the heart of the new exhibit are more than 20 handcrafted quilts. Visitors are invited to step back in time and explore the beauty, skill, and storytelling woven into quilts from the 19th and early 20th centuries, which showcase a wide variety of designs and techniques, each a reflection of the maker’s artistry and resourcefulness.

Far more than practical bedcovers, these quilts served as visual diaries of family life and community connections. Patterns such as “Courthouse Steps,” “Crazy Quilt,” and “Redwork” reveal regional traditions and changing fashions in both fabrics and colors. Some pieces were stitched from scraps of worn clothing, while others feature intricate embroidery or appliqué work that turned everyday materials into works of art.

“Stitched Stories” runs until June, inviting guests to experience how creativity and community have long been interlaced through needle and thread.

* * *

(posted 3/18/2026)

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

Leave a comment