San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

I love coming home.
So many things to see and do in the Bay Area that it's hard to pick.
When I saw that the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles was showing an exhibit of Scrap Quilts, I knew it was a must see.
This current show will run through October 16th.

There was a sign that said no photography.
When I mentioned to the staff how sad I was not to be able to take pictures for my quilt blog, they said they make exceptions for bloggers. Yay! They wanted to make sure we give credit for each quilt, which I am very happy to do.
Be aware that I loved this exhibit and took a lot of pictures.
Today I will show you two, so there will be many posts in the future.

I love scrap quilts, especially antique scrap quilts. There is something so uniquely creative when women pull from what they have and make do.
My favorite quilt from the show was:
Unknown Crosses (Stone Mason's Puzzle)
c. 1940-1970
71" X 81"
Collection of Roderick Kiracofe
*The quilt top was found in Alabama

Look at the variety in fabrics.

A real kitchen sink effect.

Some of the crosses were made with solids.

Some with stripes.

Others with florals.

And some.... well, you can tell this artist made use of every scrap she had.

Unknown Strips

c. 1955-1965

72" X 70"

This is also from the collection of Roderick Kiracofe.

*The quilt was found in North Carolina

From the Museum's handout:

"Scrap ART examines the history of the scrap quilt and showcases historical quilts pieced from small bits and pieces of leftover fabrics."

"Drawn from the Museum's collection of historic and contemporary quilts, ethnic textiles and from private collections, works by invited contemporary artists, and through a community outreach, Scrap Art surveys the long and varied history of textile reincarnation."

The San Jose Museum was the first museum in the United States to focus exclusively on quilts and textiles as an art form.

Located in old downtown San Jose, 520 South First Street