Handmade quilts often weave stories into fabric, and that’s especially true for the inaugural curated exhibit, “Threads of Our History: Quilts of Mathews, Virginia,” now on display at the Mathews County Museum.
Volunteers spent one year working on the exhibit, which highlights more than 30 quilts from the private collection of longtime Mathews County residents, Jay and Lori Jackson Black.
The couple discovered the extensive quilt collection in the home of Jay's mother, Carol Diggs Hindman, where the quilts had been carefully preserved for years.
“You know how you go through someone’s home after they pass away? That’s how they came across them,” said Nancy Twigg, volunteer chairman of the event. “There were quilts in the attic, the closets, they were everywhere. And they are all in excellent condition.”
Lori Jackson Black is a historian, genealogist and preservationist. Her husband is related to the Diggs family, whose roots go back centuries in Mathews County.
Lori worked with Twigg and volunteers to create the exhibit. She discovered fabrics on some of the quilts from as early as the 1860s, Twigg said.
“They didn’t throw anything away that could be useful later,” Twigg said. “There are pieces of fabric in one quilt from the 1860s that shows up in another quilt made in 1920. Up until the 1950s, before bridges connected us, supplies were limited because all goods were brought in by boat.”
The quilts served more than just practical purposes; they provided women socialization and artistic expression.
“Mathews was a very isolated county. Men went to sea and ladies stayed home,” Twigg added.
Indicative of the Diggs family craftmanship, the time and talent invested in creating these quilts are evident.
Twigg points to five wool coverlets that are “so heavy it’s hard to move when underneath” that showcase the level of detail and workmanship that go into the quiltmaking.
The exhibit also includes personal artifacts such as letters, journals and photographs that offer visitors insight into the lives of the women who crafted them.
“Threads of Our History: Quilts of Mathews, Virginia” will be on display until the end of December. The Mathews Historical Museum is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Special tours can be arranged by calling 804-695-4664 or emailing mathewsvamuseumfriends@gmail.com. For more information, visit the museum online.
