Putnam quilter's work chosen for exhibit

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Nellie Cox Lukenbill

Quilts from the collection of late Putnam County quilt artist Nellie Cox Lukenbill were put on display at the Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, and will remain hanging until Dec. 10.

Twelve quilts have been chosen as a representation from a conservatively estimated collection of 66 quilts owned or made by Lukenbill.

Lukenbill, who was born in 1905 and passed away in 2001, began collecting quilts as a result of inheriting quilt tops from her mother, Mary Cox, who died in 1956.

Lukenbill quilted first only for her family, then began quilting for others.

"Many of her quilts do not fit a particular category, because she created her own designs or adapted a pattern more to her liking," a news release from the Quilters Hall of Fame said. "Widowed at 71, Nellie continued to quilt prolifically for the next 25 years until her death in 2001.

"Nellie taught her family how to live with few demands, how to eke by with little money, how to stay in good humor and look on the bright side of life," the release continued. "She also left her quilt collection."

Quilting has a long, colorful history in America, much of it once surrounded by myth, for the humble quilt has touched innumerable aspects of the American experience and reflected the evolution of American culture.

The mission of the Quilters Hall of Fame is to celebrate quilting as an art form by honoring the lives and accomplishments of those people who have made outstanding contributions to the world of quilting; by restoration and preservation of the National Landmark home of quilt designer Marie D. Webster in Marion; by promoting programs, exhibitions, publications and research; and by collecting and preserving and documenting materials related to the honorees of the Quilters Hall of Fame.

A new local club, One Stitch at a Time Quilt Club, recently began meeting. All quilters are welcome.

For more information on One Stitch at a Time, call 739-6101.

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