You may have noticed that once again the Swap-bot blog has been a bit quiet… well, this time I have a very good reason!! Last week I took a trip to Kentucky (to visit my sweet grandma) and I got to check out The National Quilt Museum in Paducah. Paducah is a city of about 30,000 in western Kentucky with a thriving arts community.

I love museums and will visit one anywhere I can, but The National Quilt Museum was a real treat because it combines my love of museums with my love of craft. I did not know what to expect from the The National Quilt Museum, but I was blown away by the gorgeous building, the amazing quilts, and the professionalism of the exhibits.

The National Quilt Museum was opened in 1991 and honors today’s quilter, meaning that it mostly displays contemporary quilts from around the country. The Museum “is the portal to the contemporary quilt experience through traditional and non-traditional quiltmaking. It is the gateway to the discovery of quilts, quiltmaking, and the quilt artist. The Museum is committed to be the best in quilt exhibitions, quilt education, and quilt experience.” The quilts on display were truly stunning and many of them are winners of the American Quilters Society annual contest. Most were machine pieced, but hand quilted, and the detail was mind boggling!

Above is a photo of the stained glass quilts in the Museum lobby. Sadly, photography was not allowed within the exhibit halls, but you can check out the Museum’s entire collection online via The Quilt Index. The online photo does not do it justice (nor does it show the jewel-encrusted pattern on the back), but Sedona Rose</a> by Sharon Schamber was my favorite of the quilts on view. </p>

The National Quilt Museum also focuses on education and community involvement. Above are some of the yo-yos made by the Yo Yo Club of Paducah which meets at the Museum. The Museum also hosts an annual School Block Challenge, a quilting contest for children. The 2011 School Block Challenge winners are currently on view at the museum and it was fun to see all of the creative things submitted by students from all over the country. The best part: while I was at the museum, two teenage boys came through to check out their quilt block which had won a third place prize! Not only is The National Quilt Museum getting teens interested in art and craft, but they are breaking down gender stereotypes, too! I love it!

If you are ever in Kentucky, I strongly encourage a trip to The National Quilt Museum, especially if you want to be inspired to take your own crafting to the next level.

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Now the fun part – a Giveaway! I have a few items from the Museum gift shop to give away to one lucky winner!!

You could win the mini quilt kit seen above (which includes the pattern, fabric, backing, and binding needed to make a 16 x 16″ quilt), a souvenir National Quilt Museum pin, plus some Swap-bot goodies. To enter, simply comment on this blog post and share one memory or experience that relates to quilt making. Have you ever made a quilt? Were you gifted a quilt made by someone special to you? Has a quilt you saw in a museum inspired your crafting?

The details: You must be a member of Swap-bot to win this giveaway. Please include your username in your comment. The contest will be open for entry through next Friday, March 18th. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Sunday, March 20th. Good luck!