Quilts made by a variety of women, including the late Lucyle Jewett, are featured at the Warkentin House through May. 15. These two quilts were made by Jewett. The one on the left was her second quilt, made in 1914. © Copyright 2005 The Newton Kansan and Morris Communications

Reprinted with permission from The Kansan

A quilt exhibit featuring area quilters is showing at the Warkentin House Victorian Museum at 211 E. First in Newton. The exhibit runs through the weekend of May 14 and 15.

Featured quilters are Lucyle Jewett (1899-1999), Betty Moberly, Wanda Harms, Louise Thieszen and Alice Miller. A pieced lace tablecloth, designed and put together by Mrs. C. W. Claassen (who lived next door to the Warkentins), that includes lace pieces from Mrs. Warkentin, also is on display in the dining room.

There are five of Jewett's quilts on display. Jewett was a prolific quilter who grew up enjoying the practical beauty of quilts made in the Quaker tradition as early as 1847 by ancestors in the Smith, Allen and Jewett families.

Jewett began her first quilt under her mother's guidance at age 4. She pieced, appliquéd and quilted more than 200 quilts during her lifetime. Lucy lived to celebrate her 100th birthday in 1999, in the book-filled Halstead home the family had occupied since 1887. One of the quilts includes the Tippecanoe quilt she made in 1914, her second quilt. She and her mother Rachel Adella "Della" Jewett were featured in a 35-page article, "The Quilting Records of Rachel Adella Jewett and Lucyle Jewett" by Sara Reimer Farley and Nancy Hornback, later published in Uncoverings 1997, Volume 18 of the Research Papers of the American Quilt Study Group, edited by Virginia Gunn.

Also on display is work by Betty Moberly © Copyright 2005 The Newton Kansan and Morris Communications

Jewett made multiples of some of her favorite designs, such as 34 Rainbow Stars, 28 Nine Patch Irish Chains, 13 Blazing Stars and 12 Irish Chains. She won many Kansas State Fair awards: Sweepstakes three times, 19 blue ribbons, 10 red ribbons and 11 awards at fairs other than the Kansas State Fair. She was featured in the 1942 Woman's Day magazine for Aunt Rachel's Star.

The upstairs master bedroom suite and nursery are the display areas for many of Betty Moberly's quilts and wall hangings. One quilt featured is a family heirloom quilt. A beautiful velvet and satin crazy quilt, which includes many old neckties, has a large assortment of embroidery stitches. Another quilt is Grandma's Flower Garden started by Betty's Grandmother Roberts that Betty completed. While on vacation one year, Moberly and her three daughters cut pieces for quilts and put them together -- Moberly's is on display. There are numerous others featured, including a Block of the Month quilt, where Betty would call each month to see where the next block was hidden.

Moberly has been quilting for more than 20 years, as well as making afghans and doing many other crafts. She has donated some of her work to her church and the hospital for fund-raising projects.

Louise Thieszen has made eight large quilts, and has quilted more after moving to North Newton in 1991. Prior to that she had made all white baby quilts for the MCC auction, which she continues to do. The highest price given for a baby quilt was $800. Quilts on display include her Double Irish Chain and Country Love. She quilts twice a week with the Mission Quilters of Bethel College Mennonite Church.

Alice Miller's Double Irish Chain is on display. She started quilting 20 years ago -- at home and with the Piecemakers quilting group at Trinity United Methodist Church.

Warkentin House hours are 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through May. Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children ages 6 through 12.

This shows the tiny hand-quilting stitches used. © Copyright 2005 The Newton Kansan and Morris Communications

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©2005 The Newton Kansan Reprinted with permission

Editor’s note: Even though this exhibit has passed, we thought you would enjoy reading about the quilters and seeing some of their quilts.

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