May 4, 1989

Tiemann, Louise

Espanola, New Mexico, United States

An article about the Yesterday's Treasures, Tomorrow's Heirlooms by the New Mexico Quilter's Association.

Quilters Open Exhibit, Sale at Fairgrounds
Yesterday's Treasures, Tomorrow's Heirlooms, a quilt exhibition and sale will be held May 5, 6, and 7, in the Youth Hall at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque.

The show, featuring more than 100 antique, traditional, and contemporary quilts, and quilted clothing is presented by the New Mexico Quilters' Association. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 6 and 7. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors.

Featured will be not only full-sized quilts, but dozens of wall quilts. Styles range from antique to traditional or contemporary, and some of the quilts will be for sale. One portion of the hanging show is devoted to antique quilts; another to crib quilts.

Among the antique quilts on display will be a whimsicall child's quilt entitled "The Patchy Zoo Story Quilt" created by Mrs. J. F. Nienhueser of Jefferson City, Mo. Now in the care of her granddaughter, Sheryll Nienhueser Barker of Albuquerque, the quilt, depicts scrappy zoo animals with the accompanying story embroidered in adjacent squares designed by Mrs. Nienhueser for her only child, John, during the lean war years of the 1940s. It was inspired by a library book, and the animals were stitched to life from her fabric scrap basket and old flour sacks.

At the other end of the quilting spectrum will be a contemporary New Mexican quilt designed and stitched by Irene Strege. Featuring Mimbres pottery designs of a bear and lizard, and a floral design based on an antique hand-painted Indian pot, the contemporary quilt is striking in shades of turquoise, fuchsia, white, gray, and black.

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday only the public is invited to bring in quilts completed (pieced and quilted) before 1945 for free documentation as part of the New Mexico Heritage Quilt Search. It takes approximately a half hour for experts to date, photograph, and analyze each quilt. A written copy of the docuform for the quilt will be available for $5.