The National Quilt Museum

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The National Quilt Museum To honor today’s quilter & inspire future quilters w/exceptional exhibitions, education & programming.
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We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Paducah, Ky funded in part by the Kentucky Arts Council. The museum provides national-class cultural services to diverse communities, both near and far, through exhibitions, educational programs, support of artists, and tourism development. NQM is located in downtown Paducah, Kentucky; a UNESCO Creative City for Craft & Folk Art. The museum features three galleries of art that rotate throughout the year in a 27,000 square foot facility. In an average year, the museum is visited by art lovers from 50 states and over 40 countries worldwide. An eight-time TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner and a 2020 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Winner. The museum has been mentioned in hundreds of online and offline publications including USA Today, Southern Living, and Kentucky Living. "The Museum is a Revelation..." ~Garden & Gun Magazine, April-May 2022

The National Quilt Museum is funded in part by The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, supports The National Quilt Museum with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Feel like your drowning? Let these waves lift you up. 👀🌊“Whipped,” by Australian artist Tania Tanti, translates an emoti...
10/09/2026

Feel like your drowning? Let these waves lift you up. 👀🌊

“Whipped,” by Australian artist Tania Tanti, translates an emotionally turbulent time into a colorful, energetic composition. As she worked through trauma, she found herself “happily caught up in the colourful current” of the waves, which eventually guided her back to shore.

This quilt is one of 30 exceptional quilts featured in Carrefour Européen du Patchwork: Avant Garde, an international exhibition bringing together artists from around the world.

🗓️ On view through December 1
🎟️ Get tickets: https://bit.ly/NQMtickets

Hard work. Spectacular results. 🪡These Beginner-A Fall Quilt Campers have been focusing on their pieces all week so it's...
10/09/2026

Hard work. Spectacular results. 🪡

These Beginner-A Fall Quilt Campers have been focusing on their pieces all week so it's quite gratifying to see their hard work pay off with these fabulous quilts (not to mention the skills they practiced along the way: math, problem solving, visual and spatial thinking, working with their hands and creativity!).

We'll also be sharing the quilts of our Beginner-B campers. Stay tuned...

Thank you to our sponsors for making this possible:
Aurifil
Carson-Myre Foundation
Hancock’s of Paducah
Hobbs Quilt Batting
Kentucky Arts Council
Moda Fabrics United Notions
oliso
Paducah Creative City
Rotary Club of Paducah
City of Paducah Kentucky Government

One color. Endless possibilities. ✨The theme for New Quilts From An Old Favorite 2028 is MONOCHROMATIC!This biennial con...
10/07/2026

One color. Endless possibilities. ✨

The theme for New Quilts From An Old Favorite 2028 is MONOCHROMATIC!

This biennial contest and exhibition challenges quiltmakers to create an innovative quilt that incorporates a traditional block pattern and is inspired by the set theme. We can’t wait to see how you interpret "monochromatic" through design, technique and color (or lack thereof).

🏆 First Place: $2,000
🥈 Second Place: $1,500
🥉 Third Place: $1,000

📅 Online entries open September 1, 2027
⏰ Entry deadline: December 9, 2027

Ready to start thinking in one color? 👀

Keep an eye on this space for details (including deadlines and instructions): https://quiltmuseum.org/nqof2028

Shown: J Drennan Sewing's monochromatic entry "Clara Bow Wearing A Cloak" for our "New Quilts From An Old Favorite: Roaring Twenties" exhibition from 2024

You asked for it. We made it virtual! 🙌Our Hands-On Longarm Quilting Basics Workshop with Handi Quilter is coming soon (...
10/06/2026

You asked for it. We made it virtual! 🙌

Our Hands-On Longarm Quilting Basics Workshop with Handi Quilter is coming soon (October 21–24), and online participation is available! Learn new longarm techniques, tips and skills from the comfort of your own home.

Choose the virtual option or join us in person for two or four days of hands-on instruction on HQ Amara Longarm Machines, led by nationally recognized instructor Nicholas Turcan of Mystery Stitch Designs.

👉 Ready to take your quilting to the next level? Grab your spot: https://bit.ly/NQMLongarmWorkshop

And there’s more! Join us for a Trunk Show on October 20 in which Nicholas will present his quilts. Here's the schedule:
5 pm: Friends of NQM Reception
5:30 pm: Doors open to the general public
6 pm: Trunk Show starts–Join in person or watch virtually on Facebook Live!

🧵 Get an invite to the reception by becoming a Friend of NQM. Even more, Friends at the Benefactor Level and above receive 20% off all classes, including this one. Join here: https://quiltmuseum.org/friends

School's off. Quilting is on. 🪡🔥Check out the initial blocks these kids are crafting at our two Beginner Fall Break Quil...
10/06/2026

School's off. Quilting is on. 🪡🔥

Check out the initial blocks these kids are crafting at our two Beginner Fall Break Quilt Camps. They'll be working (and learning and having fun) this week as they focus on skills like machine piecing, ironing, and finishing their quilt.

We'll be back later in the week with their final results. Can't wait to share!

🤔 What happens when you piece a quilt together the “wrong” way?In “KALEIDOSCOPIC ###IX: Right and Wrong Sides Together |...
10/02/2026

🤔 What happens when you piece a quilt together the “wrong” way?

In “KALEIDOSCOPIC ###IX: Right and Wrong Sides Together | 2015,” Paula Nadelstern plays with our expectations of traditional patchwork. The two kaleidoscopes are identical – but they’re pieced differently.

The left side was sewn the conventional way, with the right sides of the fabric together. The right side? Nadelstern pieced it with the wrong sides together, then covered it with a layer of black tulle – revealing the multitude of seams she typically works to conceal.

The result is a fascinating study in symmetry, construction and the unexpected beauty found in the details. 🔍

See this quilt and more in Paula exhibition, "Master of Symmetry," on display through the end of the year at NQM.

Learn more: https://quiltmuseum.org/paula-nadelstern

“As an avid conservationist and lover of old textiles, I believe we have an obligation to help protect our present fiber...
10/01/2026

“As an avid conservationist and lover of old textiles, I believe we have an obligation to help protect our present fibers for the future. I encourage you all to help support the National Quilt Museum's new endeavor in whatever manner you are able.” – Sylvia Pickell, NQM Collection Quilter

Created 40 years ago, Sylvia’s "Escape From Circle City" was one of the National Quilt Museum’s earliest acquisitions. Our new Preservation Society will help protect quilts like hers—and the stories they carry—by providing the funds for museum-quality climate control, specialized lighting, secure storage and conservation care. 💙

Join Sylvia in supporting the collection’s future. Learn more about and join the Preservation Society here: https://quiltmuseum.org/preservation-society

10/01/2026

Hope to see you on Market House Square Saturday 10/3 for the Kids Creative Arts Street Fair!

✨ Now Open! “Carrefour Européen du Patchwork✨ Now Open! “Carrefour Européen du PatchworkMattea Jurin: Avant Gard e”✨The ...
09/25/2026

✨ Now Open! “Carrefour Européen du Patchwork✨ Now Open! “Carrefour Européen du PatchworkMattea Jurin: Avant Gard e”✨

The world of contemporary quilting comes together in “Avant Garde,” the latest International Contest exhibition from Carrefour Européen du Patchwork.

Each year, quilters from around the globe are challenged to interpret a new theme, bringing their creativity, craftsmanship and unique perspectives to life in cloth. From hundreds of entries, 30 finalists are selected by an international panel of judges for their exceptional interpretation of the theme and quality of ex*****on.

From around the world to the walls of NQM... See all 30 quilts now on display. 🌎

🗓️ September 25 through December 1
🎟️ Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/NQMtickets

Shown: "Brave New World: Quantum Cellular Biotech" by Mattea Jurin, Italy

🌍 Quilting knows no borders.This fall, we’re proud to welcome Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, featuring 30 exceptional ...
09/23/2026

🌍 Quilting knows no borders.

This fall, we’re proud to welcome Carrefour Européen du Patchwork, featuring 30 exceptional quilts crafted by artists from around the world.

Each year, the European Patchwork Meeting challenges quilters to interpret a new theme. This year’s theme is Avant Garde. After months of imagining, designing and stitching, entries are judged and 30 finalists are selected for the International Contest exhibition.

Now, these innovative works are making their way around the world – and their next stop is The National Quilt Museum. 📍

Come experience the creativity, artistry and boundary-pushing ideas of Carrefour Européen du Patchwork: Avant Garde.

🗓️ September 25 through December 1
🎟️ Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/NQMtickets
📸 Grand Prize Winner: What Are Her Origins? by Szilvia Kerékgyártó (Patchwork Design) from Hungary

Address

215 Jefferson Street
Paducah, KY
42001

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+12704428856

Website

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