Mondays–V7E32–National Quilt Museum

I left the Great Hunter alone for three days while my cousin and I went to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. Paducah is only about three and a half hours from my house, but it’s the farthest I’ve driven in more years than I can remember. I often think about how reliant I am on my GPS and what I would do without it.

Back about twenty-five years ago, my Department sent me to Huntsville, Alabama for a seminar. I had never driven that far by myself before.

I remember I had paper maps and luckily, I made it there without any problem driving east and then south. Coming back though, I wanted to go through Corinth, Mississippi, which was west and then north, to spend a day doing some genealogy research on my dad’s family that came from Corinth back in the 1880s. Somehow, I got turned around and was driving the wrong direction, and I cost myself an hour of driving time before I realized I was going back the way I came.

This time, GPS was a winner and even though I chose a route that was not entirely interstate, it was a piece of cake.

Paducah’s website describes Paducah as:

Nestled at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, Paducah, Kentucky, offers a captivating story shaped by its strategic location and vibrant community. Founded in 1827 by William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame, Paducah’s origins and prosperity stem from its riverside position, which has connected people and industries for generations. Today, visitors can experience the city’s charm in many ways, from exploring historical landmarks to immersing themselves in the thriving arts scene.

The Four Rivers Region: America’s Geographical Heart

Paducah is at the center of the Four Rivers Region, where the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi rivers meet to form a hub of connectivity and culture. This unique location not only defines the city’s geography but also shapes its identity as a crossroads for commerce and creativity.

The quilts at the museum are extraordinary. My original reason for wanting to go to the Quilt Museum was to see the display of Twenty Years of Tula Pink, a quilt and fabric designer I follow, but once we were there, I found another artist who captured my attention: Janet Stone and her alphabet quilts, “Now I Know My ABCs”. This is just one of twenty-six quilts she’s made, each featuring all the letters of the alphabet.