Quilt Museum and Gallery

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

The Quilt Museum and Gallery is Britain'sonly museum dedicated exclusively to quilting and textile arts based in historic St Anthony's Hall, York. The hall 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 wide range of displays and activities.

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 please ask at the Museum shop on your next visit.

Current Exhibitions

9 January - 20 March 2010

'The Celtic Fringe: Wholecloths of Wales and Scotland'

'Namad': A Perisian Journey in Felt' by Bita Ghezelayagh 

The Quilt Museum and Gallery in York, starts its New Year with two exhibitions that show the contrast in decorative tradition between the UK and Iran.  While ‘The Celtic Fringe’ focuses on quilt patterns native to Wales and Scotland, ‘Namad” A Persian Journey in Felt’ looks  at the variety and richness of embroidered Turkoman motifs. The Namad exhibition is shown in partnership with the Collins Gallery, Glasgow. 

Traditional wholecloth quilts are generally made from one plain coloured fabric (sometimes two) and their interest lies in the many different patterns that have been stitched – usually by hand. In years past, certain patterns were used again and again in Wales and Scotland, thus giving a recognizable identity to the work. Thus, a quilt with hearts, thistles and fleur de lys might probably have been made in the Scottish Borders while a quilt with broad infilled leaves, hearts and spirals would probably have come from Wales. Visitors to the Celtic Fringe exhibition will have their own opportunity to try and match design with country but they will also see quilts that have ‘associations’. Chief among these are Welsh quilts made especially for the Art Deco wing of Claridges Hotel in London in the 1930s and ‘Hawick’ quilts made by church guilds in the Scottish Borders around the same period.

Bita Ghezelayagh, has practised as an architect, interior designer, film producer and costume designer and now divides her time between London and her native Tehran. In ‘Namad: A Persian Journey in Felt’, she presents a  collection of over 20 thick felted and embroidered ‘T’ shaped tunics traditionally worn by Iranian shepherds.  The cloaks are made from fleeces sourced in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains and produced by hand felting methods in workshops in Borujerd and Khorramabad.  The tunics, which are both decorative and functional, are used as a canvas by Ghezelayagh to express her memories of growing up in Iran.  The decorative motifs she embroiderers are derived from the Turkoman culture and include geometric forms, stylised tulips and birds and symbols drawn from the folklore of indigenous tribes.

New Acquisition December 2009

We are delighted that we have been able to purchase Pink Boat by a long established quilt artist Jo Budd.  The acquisition has  been made possible with assistance from the Art Fund and MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.

Pink Boat will be on display at the Quilt Museum in a forthcoming exhibition at the Museum

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 

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

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

(last admission 3.30pm).

Please contact us in advance of your visit to check current opening days and times. The museum is closed to the public during exhibition changeovers (next exhibition change 1-4 September) and over the Christmas holiday

(24 December 2009 - 8 January 2010). 

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  

Museum is awarded 'Accreditated Museum' status

The Quilt Museum and Gallery has been awarded Accredited status from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council.  This award demonstrates that the museum has achieved clearly defined national standards relating to governance and management, user services, visitor facilities and collections management.

The Quilt Museum joins 1800 museums nationwide that currently meet the standard.

Quilt Museum and Gallery Staff

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

Heather Peacock, Curator curator@quiltmuseum.org.uk

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

Virginia Hatton, Volunteer Organiser volunteer@quiltmuseum.org.uk

Catherine Candlin, Commericial manager commercial@quiltersguild.org.uk

Grant aid for the Museum

•  £1000 MLA/ Renaissance Yorkshire towards purchasing oral history recording equipment
•  £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) in2009
•  £5000 from Association of Independent Museums/ Pilgrim Trust for conservation of the Mary Prince Coverlet 2009
• Little Gems Tombola 2009 £10,100 towards 2010 exhibition programme
• 2008 Bag Tombola £5000 towards Museum operation
• Heritage Lottery Grant £193,500 for education and volunteer programmes at the museum over three years 'Unfolding The Quilts' project.
• £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 very much to everyone who has helped and contributed.