Missouri Bicentennial Quilt includes all counties, local quilter selected for Daviess
Dec 2, 2020 | Community News |
Since the pioneer days of the American Midwest, quilts have been a cornerstone of Missouri culture, fashion, and tradition. In honor of our great state’s 200th anniversary (August of 2021), the State Historical Society of Missouri and Missouri Star Quilt Company of Hamilton, in partnership with the Missouri State Quilters Guild, teamed up to create the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt.
With one quilt block to represent every Missouri county and the independent city of St. Louis, the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt showcases the unique characteristics of Missouri culture and style.
Gwen Forsythe’s quilt block was selected for Daviess County. The Daviess County resident says she heard that no block had been submitted for the county.
“I’m not a quilter per se,” says Forsythe. “I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandmother made her living as a seamstress in a factory in Kansas City. My mother and her brother also worked in the same factory as teenagers. Sewing is just in my blood.”
Quilt block submissions were accepted from Oct. 8, 2018, through Sept. 2, 2019. Multiple submissions for the same county were judged according to whether they met criteria, level of creativity and craft, and description of significance. The judging committee included representatives from Missouri Star Quilt Company, State Historical Society of Missouri, and Missouri State Quilters Guild. All quilt block submissions will remain available for viewing in the gallery at the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt website through 2021.
Forsythe says she chose the theme for the block because Daviess County is known for its Amish influence.
Forsythe says she has not yet had the opportunity to see the actual quilt. Although the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt is finished and ready to tour the state, due to our changing health environment, the exhibition of the Missouri Bicentennial Quilt has been put on hold. In the meantime, you can enjoy viewing a digital display of the Quilt at https://missouri2021.org/bicentennial-quilt/.
