Stitching Time

Commemorative American Quilts

Special Presentation by Quilt Historian Sandra Sider

What can a quilt tell us about America? More than you might expect.

From the Centennial of 1876 to America’s 250th anniversary, commemorative quilts have marked important moments in our national and community life. They have celebrated anniversaries, preserved memories, expressed civic pride, and reflected changing ideas about women’s roles, race, rights, and American identity.

On Friday, October 16, quilt historian Sandra Sider visits Rocktown History for Stitching Time: Commemorative American Quilts, presented in partnership with the Virginia Quilt Museum.

Drawing from her new book, Commemorative American Quilts: Stitching Our Heritage from 1876 to Today, Sider will explore quilts as more than beautiful or useful objects. They are historical documents in cloth—created by people responding to the events and ideas of their own time.

Sider served for a decade as curator of the Texas Quilt Museum and taught History of Textiles in the MFA Textiles program at Parsons School of Design. An art historian, curator, author, and past president of Studio Art Quilt Associates, she has published more than a dozen books exploring quilting and its relationship to American society.

Join us for a fascinating look at what happens when history, art, memory, and a needle and thread come together.

Friday, October 16, 2026 | 10:30 am
Rocktown History, Dayton, Virginia

Presented by Rocktown History in partnership with the Virginia Quilt Museum.