MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN QUILTER'S SOCIETY DEDICATED TO MODERN QUILTING

Piece by piece, stitch by stitch and little by little a quilt begins to take shape.

Sewn by the rich and poor, by free women and by slaves, and for decoration and utility, quilts long have been part of America's heritage. Today that tradition continues as quilting crosses gender, occupational and monetary boundaries.

"You can't make a blanket statement about quilters," puns Erik Reid, assistant curator and registrar of the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, Ky.

"Today's average quilter is extremely wealthy, very poor or somewhere in between. Quilts are being made by single mothers, grandmothers and skilled artists. At the museum, we have quilts made by flight attendants, medical doctors, traditional quilters and even engineers.

The museum's motto is `Honoring Today's Quilter' because it is the only institution in the world especially dedicated to today's quilts and quiltmakers."

Founded in 1991, the museum houses 160 quilts in its permanent collection and plays host to dozens of national and international touring exhibitions. All three galleries are climate controlled and have special UV lighting and supporting rod systems for the hanging the quilts. They are not kept under glass.

Over 250 volunteers work two at a time, three shifts a day, to answer questions about the exhibits and to prevent any attempted handling of the quilts.

The museum acquires the quilts in its collection in a number of different ways, Reid said.

"Some we purchase from private collections, some are on permanent or temporary loan to the museum by families or private estates and some are donated to us.

About 40,000 people visit the museum each year, coming from all over the U.S. as well as abroad.

Children are also a focus for the museum's educational efforts. It sponsors the School Block Challenge annually with co-sponsor P&B Textiles. The children make a quilt block using three different fabrics. The challenge is open to elementary, middle and senior school students, with group efforts on the blocks encouraged.