By Kayla Leonard, Registrar of Collections
Tryon Palace is thrilled to once again be hosting works from members of the Twin Rivers Quilters Guild in our exhibit – Pieced with Care. This will be Tryon Palace’s fourth time hosting the Guild since 2016, with the previous three exhibits being extremely well received in our community. Pieced with Care will feature 59 quilts made by more than 35 quilters, each a work of art inspired by their imagination and expression.
The Twin Rivers Quilters Guild is a local nonprofit organization founded in 1983 that is dedicated to the art of quilting. The Guild offers in-house and professional workshops to their members as well as weekly stitch-n-chats, block of the month activities, challenge quilts, and mystery quilts. The Guild hosts meetings at 9:30 every Thursday morning at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in New Bern. If you are interested in the Guild, please stop in – the Guild would love to meet you.
From the beginning, the Twin Rivers Quilters Guild has supported local and national charities with donations of a variety of quilts including stretcher quilts, fidget quilts, lap quilts, children’s quilts, and adult bibs. In 2021, the Guild donated 28 quilts to Air Force Air Evacuation in Germany, 42 quilts to the North Carolina Veterans Home in Kinston, 65 children’s quilts to local facilities, and 221 quilts to local nursing homes. The Guild also regularly donates to the Empty Bowls event in New Bern.
One way the Guild finances their charitable acts is to produce a biannual raffle quilt. From the first raffle quilt in 1986, raffle proceeds have been used to support the educational and charitable activities of the Guild. The 2022 raffle quilt, Rainbow Rings, is a double wedding ring pattern that was chosen by the current Raffle Quilt Committee Chair, Sally Cornford. The double wedding ring pattern was first published in the United States in the early 1920s and has long been a symbol of love with the interlocking rings symbolizing marriage. The quilt was paper pieced by members of the committee, appliqued by Mary Yanchuck and Sue Kleeman, and quilted by Katherine Haleen. Rainbow Rings is on display at the exhibit and raffle tickets for this piece can be purchased at the Museum Store in the North Carolina History Center for $1.00 or 6 tickets for $5.00 while Pieced with Care is open.
Pieced with Care opens in the Duffy Gallery at the North Carolina History Center on Saturday, January 22nd and will be open through Sunday, March 27th. This exhibit is free to the public. For more information, www.tryonpalace.org or call 252-639-3500.
Tryon Palace • 529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562 • 252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org