Companion Exhibit to the 5th Annual “Quilts at the
Weirs” Event
(August 16, 2006 – Weirs, NH). As the days become
cooler with the end of summer, nothing says history and
heritage like an antique quilt.
The “Antique Quilts by Ladies of the Lake”
exhibit is on display at the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum in
the Weirs now through Labor Day. It features quilts made
between 1880-1930 by ancestors of LWHS President Beth Lavertue
and Executive Director Ann Sprague, both families having
lived on and around the lake for generations.
The exhibit has been organized to complement the 5th Annual
“Quilts at the Weirs” show on Saturday, August
26th.
“Quilt-making is very time consuming and often a
quilt begun in one generation was completed by another,”
indicated Stephanie Drake of the NH Quilt Documentation
Project, who donated her time to provide specific observations
of the quilts on display, as well as some background information
on quilts in general.
The generations who made the quilts on display at the
Lake Winnipesaukee Museum are both Beth’s and Ann’s
great grandmothers and grandmothers.
Drake went on to explain that, although quilts were made
prior to the Civil War, quilt-making didn’t become
a widespread activity until the late 19th century when textile
production dramatically increased and sewing machines were
readily available.
Drake is very involved with the NH Quilt Documentation
Project, Phase II, which has undertaken a survey of all
quilts made prior to 1976 in the state in order to identify
quilts made in NH and to research the stories of the quilts
and their makers. The schedule of “Documentation Days”
is available at the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum, with the
next one to be held at Keepsake Quilting in Center Harbor
on Saturday, August 26th from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Pre-registration
is required. For further information about the NH Quilt
Documentation Project, visit their web site at www.nhquiltdoc.org.
The 5th Annual Quilts at the Weirs, also scheduled on Saturday,
August 26th, celebrates the creativity of quilters and is
one of the only outdoor quilt shows in the country. Quilts
will be hung from the porches of the Victorian homes and
NH Veterans Association buildings in Weirs Beach and is
the only Quilt show that can by viewed by walking, driving,
railroading or boating. The event will take place from 11:00
am to 5:00 pm and is sponsored by the Weirs Action Committee.
For further information, contact Suzan Scott at 603-934-3287.
Another upcoming event for the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical
Society is a Lunch and Lake Cruise fundraising event on
Sunday, September 24th. Watch for further details in the
upcoming weeks.
The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization established in 1985 to preserve and promote
the history and heritage of Lake Winnipesaukee and vicinity.
The society’s Lake Winnipesaukee Museum is open year-round,
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and is
located directly on Route 3 in the Weirs section of Laconia,
one mile north of the Weirs Beach sign, next door to Funspot.
For further information, please contact info@lwhs.us or
603.366.5776.
