QUILTER | TEACHER | AUTHOR | FOUNDER
The weekend’s forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s—ideal weather for a jaunt to my hometown, Winterset, Iowa, for Iowa Quilt Museum’s annual Airing of the Quilts. You’ll feast your eyes on hundreds of quilts on … Read More
Here in aptly-named WINTERset, we’re having quite the sporty winter. Around here, even before the last snowflake hits the ground, guys are out there, “pushing snow.” Pushing snow is not the same as removing snow from one’s sidewalk with a … Read More
On November 3, 2020, I stepped outside my door at 5:45 a.m. and walked the four-block distance to First United Methodist Church for my election worker debut. (Because of COVID, Winterset Precincts 1 and 2 were combined into a single … Read More
Growing up, my family changed houses only about four times that I can remember. We moved from Iowa, where I was born, to Kansas City, where I started school, then to Friendswood, Texas, and after that to Houston, where I … Read More
One thing we humans have going for us is our ability to adapt. As weird as it feels (and looks) to cover my face with a cloth mask when I am in public spaces, I do it because reliable sources … Read More
The Iowa Theater in Winterset, Iowa, known locally as “The Iowa,” is once again a gem of a space—Art Deco facade, classic marquee, single silver screen, 150 seats (including balcony), red velvet curtain that opens dramatically at start of show, … Read More
When deciding how I feel about a nineteenth or early twentieth century quilt, one of my tests is whether I would like to have lunch with the maker. If the workmanship is angel-perfect, a cup of coffee or a glass … Read More
As we stayed home this spring, making masks or quilts or sourdough bread, we watched events we were planning to attend get canceled or postponed, and rightly so—it’s clear that limiting travel, wearing masks, and physical distancing have definitely helped … Read More
One day last month, Iowa Public Radio’s Jacqueline Halbloom, host of IPR’s Iowa Arts Showcase, popped over to Winterset. She sat down with me at the docent desk inside the Iowa Quilt Museum and asked me all sorts of cool … Read More
In Winterset, each Friday morning from 8:15 to 9 a.m., a member of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce hosts coffee for fellow members. Thirty or forty people generally show up to enjoy a cup of joe and socialize on … Read More