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The Pioneer Museum of Alabama’s Biennial Quilt Show opens on Thursday and will close on April 2.

Quilting has a storied past and is thought to have originated in Europe during the Crusades.

According to the “story,” the Turks first began wearing quilted material under their amour to keep them warm.

The benefit of quilting material as protection against cold is well documented in American history.

Quilts were also a method of self-expression for America’s pioneer women, said Barbara Tatom, Pioneer Museum of Alabama director.

Although the quilt patterns were similar in different parts of America, the pattern names were often different according to local lore and legend.

The Pioneer Museum of Alabama’ 2023 Biennial Quilt Show will include a quilt dated 1776 and several that were made as recently at 2023.

“The Pioneer Museum of Alabama’s 2023 Biennial Quilt Show is especially interesting in that it features many patterns that are familiar to local quilters and, then, patterns that are very new,” Tatom said. Making the 2023 Biennial Quilt Show especially interesting for local viewers is their often familiarity with quilters and/or their families.

A quilt made by Beth Collier and Dot Parish features cross stitched quilt squares by Collier and quilting by Parish.

“The story of how that quilt was made by those two ladies is shared on a tag with the quilt,” Tatom said. “The quilt show traces quilting from 1776 until 2023 and it does so beautifully.”

The Pioneer Museum of Alabama’s Biennial Quilt Show will host award-winning quilt maker, Flavin Glover as she shares the story of “The Versatile Log Cabin Block” on Saturday, March 11.

For more information about quilt show and/or Glover’s presentation, call the museum at 334-566-3597 or visit the museum during regular hours, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.