Celebrating the recent gift of 350 American quilts from local collectors Pat and Tom Nickols, this installation provides a first look at selections from their important donation to Mingei International Museum. Over the last 30 years, Pat Nickols has amassed a wondrous collection of mostly American quilts; a quilt and fabric historian, her knowledge of this important genre of American folk art is boundless. The collection comprises quilts made from the early 1800s to the 1950s, gathered from many parts of the United States. It includes excellent examples of various quilting patterns and techniques, including charm, signature, log cabin and feed sack. This first presentation features string or scrap quilts made with small pieces of leftover fabric. String quilts are of particular interest to Pat because they combine a wide variety of patterned fabric, creating what she calls “a treasure trove of antique prints.”
