About This Festival

The Quilters Hall of Fame Celebration 2025 will take place from July 17 to July 19, 2025, at 926 South Washington Street in Marion, Indiana. This event celebrates quilting artistry and heritage with quilt exhibits, a vendor mall, workshops, lectures, live and silent auctions, and the induction of their newest honoree, Laurel Horton.

About the Location and Surroundings

The event is housed in the historic Marie Webster House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1905, which serves as the home of the Quilters Hall of Fame. The Marie Webster House is located in Marion, Indiana, in Grant County and is a Colonial Revival style building on the National Register of Historic Places. Marion is a city roughly halfway between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, accessible via I-69. The area around 926 S Washington Street consists of this historic neighborhood with amenities for visitors including local shopping and dining.

Vibe of the Event

The celebration carries a deep sense of heritage and artistry, set in a renovated historic home that honors quilting pioneers. The ambiance is intimate and educational, catering to quilting enthusiasts, historians, and crafters with a focus on community and the preservation of quilting traditions. Visitors can expect to engage with the quilting community through exhibits that showcase historic and contemporary quilting works, hands-on workshops, and opportunities to learn from experts and honored quilt-makers.

Event Activities and Highlights

  • Quilt Exhibits: Featuring quilts by notable quilting artists including the current inductee, Laurel Horton, whose works showcase significant contributions to quilting research, preservation, and artistry.

  • Vendor Mall: Various vendors will offer quilting supplies, materials, and possibly quilt-related crafts and memorabilia for sale.

  • Workshops: Hands-on sessions where attendees can learn quilting techniques, potentially including the use of historic machinery like a 1901 Singer treadle sewing machine or an electric Singer Featherweight.

  • Lectures: Educational talks likely covering quilting history, techniques, and the legacies of inductees to deepen participants’ knowledge and appreciation of the craft.

  • Live and Silent Auctions: Opportunities to bid on quilts, quilting supplies, or memorabilia associated with quilting artistry, enhancing community involvement and fundraising for the Hall.

  • Induction Ceremony: Honoring Laurel Horton as the newest inductee to the Quilters Hall of Fame, celebrating her achievements in quilting research, publications, museums, and preservation efforts.

Rough Event Schedule (Representative based on typical past events and activities at Quilters Hall of Fame celebrations):

  • July 17 (Thursday):

    • Morning: Opening of quilt exhibits and vendor mall
    • Afternoon: Workshops begin (techniques demonstrations, machine quilting)
    • Early evening: Welcome reception and introduction to inductee Laurel Horton

  • July 18 (Friday):

    • Morning: Lectures on quilting history and techniques
    • Afternoon: Workshops continue
    • Evening: Live and silent auctions commence

  • July 19 (Saturday):

    • Morning: Final workshops and vendor mall shopping
    • Afternoon: Induction ceremony for Laurel Horton
    • Evening: Closing remarks and farewell reception

History and Founding of the Event and Venue

The Quilters Hall of Fame was founded in 1979 by Hazel McDowell Carter to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to quilting. The Hall moved into the Marie Webster House in Marion in 2004, which is the former home of Marie Daugherty Webster, a pioneering quilt designer known for her pattern publications and leadership in popularizing quilting.

The Hall of Fame honors quilters internationally and hosts exhibits and events to document quilters' lives and promote quilting traditions across the U.S. and the U.K. The Hall’s mission includes exhibitions, education, research, and preserving quilting heritage.

The Celebration event serves as an annual gathering that combines honoring new inductees like Laurel Horton with engaging the public and quilting community through exhibits and activities rooted in this rich history.

This comprehensive celebration at the historic venue in Marion offers a unique and immersive experience in quilting culture, celebrating both tradition and innovation in the craft.