Quilt Museum and Gallery

Quilt Museum and Gallery - St Anthony's Hall, York

The Quilt Museum and Gallery, York is dedicated to quilting and textile arts.   Based in St Anthony's Hall, the building was originally built as the headquarters of a religious guild in the 15th century, and has had a colourful past; as a workhouse for the poor,  a hospital, prison, and a school and archive. The beautiful medieval spaces have been restored and adapted to accommodate the Museum and its lively exhibition and activity programmes.

The Museum is situated in the city centre and is just five minutes walk from well known attractions including York Minister and the historic 'Shambles', York's most famous street.

Further information about the Museum can be found on the Museums dedicated website www.quiltmuseum.org.uk or by telephoning 01904 613 242

Opening Hours 

Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm last admission 3.30pm (April - September)

Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4pm last admission 3.30pm (October-March)

Current exhibitions

‘Sewing in Wartime'

and

‘Under African Skies’                                                                       

 ‘When I started selling a few fat quarters of African fabric out of a suitcase to my quilt group,’ recalls Magie, ‘I had no idea that ten years later I would be seeing so many wonderful creations made using African fabrics.’ Fabrics sourced by Magie include hand-dyed batiks, resist dyed Indigo, Kola nut and Indigo and traditional mud cloth as well as wax prints and Shwe Shwe Indigo.The exhibition will include a selection of quilts made with African fabrics and also displays of the fabrics themselves and information about their provenance and makers.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

22 October 2010 – 29 January 2011

‘Freedom to Stitch: The Emergence of the Embroiderer as Artist’ from the Collection of the Embroiderers’ Guild (Great Hall) 

And

‘In Memory of Barbara’: Barbara Bailey Commemorative Exhibition (Bailey Gallery)     

Work by some of the country’s leading practitioners of art embroidery, including Michael Brennand-Wood, Julia Caprara, Alice Kettle, Paddy Killer, and Audrey Walker, will go on exhibition in the Quilt Museum and Gallery, York on 22 October.Pieces from the collection of the Embroiderers’ Guild, will include such contemporary embroidery as ‘Pale Armistice in Death are We United’, a soft sculpture by Rozanne Hawksley. Among the nine historic pieces will be ‘Linen Bag’ by Elsie Myrtle William, demonstrating whole cloth decoration. A sub theme of the exhibition is the evolution of process shown through prints, surface markings and drawings.                 

The second exhibition shows work by the late Barbara Bailey, a founding member of The  Quilters’ Guild who combined her love of gardening with  her love of patchwork. Among the items on show will be miniatures, a ‘postage stamp’ quilt made of one-inch squares and a frame quilt with a printed panel of Queen Victoria in the centre, given to Barbara by her mother.Appropriately, Barbara’s life and work will be commemorated in the Quilt Museum gallery that bears her name – a permanent reminder of her generous legacy to The Quilters’ Guild in 1993. 

Additional Information:

1. The Embroiderers’ Guild is a leading educational charity and also a museum with a unique collection of about 11,000 items of British, European, Oriental and Indian embroidery and textiles dating from the Coptic period up to the present day. Founded in 1906, the Embroiderers’ Guild has some 12,500 members and subscribers throughout the UK . It offers a lively programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, City & Guilds courses, lectures and tours.  The Guild also has a specialist library and bookshop and publishes two magazines, Embroidery and Stitch. To find out more about the Guild or to become a member, visit www.embroiderersguild.com  or telephone 020 8943 1229.2.

2.Born in 1911, Barbara Bailey’s working life was spent in nursing and latterly horticulture. She and her sister Dulcie started the Garth and Wraxall Quilters in 1974. Barbara taught the group patchwork techniques and members entered their work into the then fledging Malvern Quilt Show. She was a friend of the late and well known patchwork and quilting author, Averil Colby and was making samples for Colby’s newest book (never published) when Colby died.  Barbara and Dulcie rarely missed a Guild event and travelled to quilt shows in Canada and the United States. Dulcie died in 1988 and Barbara five years later leaving the bulk of her estate to The Quilters’ Guild along with selected quilts, miniatures and other items. Her legacy was used to help fund the new national headquarters and Quilt Museum in York.

Annual pass

If you are a member of The Quilters' Guild you can now purchase an annual pass to visit exhibitions at the Quilt Museum as often as you like throughout the year.

The new pass costs £7.50 (Guild Members)  please ask at the Museum shop on your next visit.

Visiting the Quilt Museum and Gallery

The museum is situated at St Anthony's Hall, on Peasholme Green (opposite the Black Swan pub) York YO1 7PW

Opening Hours 

Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm (April - Sept)

Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4pm (Oct-Mar)

(last admission 3.30pm).

Please note that the museum is closed to the public during exhibition changeovers (next exhibition change  18- 21 October 2010) and over the Christmas  and New Year.

Making a group visit? A 10% discount is available to all pre-booked group visits of 10 or more people. Please let us know if you would like an introductory talk from a member of the museum team when booking (no extra charge).

Access Please contact us in advance of your visit if you have particular access requirements.  Level access to the Museum is through the double gates off Peasholme Green (between the Museum building and our neighbours Le Langhe). The exhibitions are situated on the first floor which can be accessed by a staircase or wheelchair lift.  Support dogs are welcome.  The Museum has a hearing loop in the front entrance and a portable loop for use during talks and lectures in the education room and gallery spaces. Exhibition labels are produced using a minimum of a size 18 arial font.

Exhibitions The Museum runs a varied exhibition programme exhibiting pieces from The Guild’s own heritage and contemporary collections alongside loaned in works from individual makers, groups and museums.

Museum Shop The shop is managed by The Guild's Trading company, QGBI Enterprises.  It stocks gifts, postcards, greetings cards, QGBI merchandise, needles, threads, quilting books and patterns.  The Museum Shop is also available online www.quiltmuseumshop.org.uk

Education  The Quilt Museum and Gallery is dedicated to providing learning opportunities inspired by historic and contemporary textiles for all ages.   With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund the museum runs a lively and varied education programme of talks, lectures, demonstrations, workshops and ‘retreat weekends’. Please check our website for further details. The education room is available to hire for meetings, lectures and training events.    Please contact us for further details.   

Enquiries The Museum team is able to provide information on quilt care, donations, forthcoming events and activities and group bookings.  We regret that we are unable to provide valuations or undertake conservation work. 

The Quilt Collection The collection totals over 700 artifacts and includes the earliest dated patchwork coverlet in the United Kingdom, the ‘1718 Silk Patchwork Coverlet’ and pieces made  by significant contemporary makers .  The Guild has many important quilts, coverlets, unfinished tops, quilt fragments, appliqué hangings, small domestic items and articles of pieced and quilted clothing, both historical and contemporary as part of its collection.   In addition, the QGBI collection also includes; quilting tools; patterns and templates; oral history tapes; the data base from a quilt documentation research project carried out between 1990 and 1993: photographs; documents, and a large collection of fabric samples.   

Behind the scenes Arrangements can be made for small groups to access behind the scenes by appointment with the Curator (additional charge applies). Research In addition to the extensive QGBI library researchers can book an appointment with the Curator to view specific quilts and research photographic slides, documentation, oral history recordings and fabric samples (additional charge applies). 

Staff and volunteers at the museum The Quilters’ Guild employs a small professional and friendly staff team to look after the museum.   They are assisted by a dedicated team of volunteers who help with daily activities at the museum e.g. room stewarding, group visits, events, education and behind the scenes activities such as care of collections and exhibition hanging.  

Funding The Quilt Museum and Gallery is an independent charitable museum.  Funding is provided through admissions to the museum, donations and  commericial activity.  Additional funding is sought from fundraising initiatives and external organisations and the museum is currently receiving grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England

Museum Website The Museum has its own website www.quiltmuseum.org.uk   The site features up to date information on opening times, admission charges, exhibitions, news, latest acquisitions, activities and events. 

Contact us Quilt Museum and Gallery. St, Anthony’s Hall, Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PW

01904 613 242

info@quiltmuseum.org.uk  

Quilt Museum and Gallery Staff

Fiona Diaper, Museum Director director@quiltmuseum.org.uk

Heather Peacock, Curator (Part-Time) curator@quiltmuseum.org.uk

Melanie Worgan, Education Officer education@quiltmuseum.org.uk

Virginia Hatton, Volunteer Organiser (Part-Time) volunteer@quiltmuseum.org.uk

Grant aid for the Museum

•  £9,915 from Renaissance Yorkshire towards an audience research project in 2010

• £6,657 from Yorventure towards the purchase of a specialist display case for fabric samples in 2010

• £1000 MLA/ Renaissance Yorkshire towards purchasing oral history recording equipment in 2010

•  £4000 from the Art Fund towards the acquisition  of Jo Budd 'Pink Boat' (Dry Dock 1) in 2009

• £3000 from the MLA /V&A Purchase Grant Fund towards 'Pink Boat'       (Dry Dock 1) in 2009

•  £5000 from Association of Independent Museums/ Pilgrim Trust for conservation of the Mary Prince Coverlet 2009

• Little Gems Tombola  organised by the Contemporary Quilt Group in 2009 rasied £10,100 towards 2010 exhibition programme

• 2008 Bag Tombola £5000 towards Museum operation in 2009

• Heritage Lottery Grant £193,500 for education and volunteer programmes at the museum over three years 'Unfolding The Quilts' project September 2008-September 2011.

• £20,000 from Arts Council England towards the costs of the opening exhibition and activities and an outreach programme in summer 2009

• £900 grant from the Leche Trust for the construction of a specialist plinth and information stand for the  1718 silk patchwork coverlet

• £2100 from the Worshipful Company of Broderers for display cases

• Over £100,000 from Guild regions, individual members and groups towards the St Anthony's fund (Museum development)

• Legacies including a significant bequest from Barbara Bailey

       Thank you to everyone who has contributed.