Quilts of Love and Valor Event

Mount Pleasant, IA – October 24, 2019 – The Friends of the Harlan-Lincoln House invite quilters, crafters, Civil War aficionados, and everyone in-between to an evening of history and textiles.

On Thursday, November 14th, 2019, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the museum will host Quilts of Love & Valor: An Evening with Becky Wright in the Iowa Wesleyan University Social Hall. Threading together in fabric the experiences of Jacob and Emiline Ritner, author Becky A. Wright will illustrate her creative process of designing textiles. Her 11 quilts represent the stories of this Mount Pleasant, Iowa husband and wife separated by conflict, which is preserved in a complete set of Civil War letters. Wright notes, “Once I started reading Charles Larimer’s Book Love and Valor, I quickly felt a connection to the Ritner family. I loved their story, and my love of history and Mt. Pleasant, added to my interest in the Ritners and all the citizens mentioned in their letters.”

In addition to speaking on these inspired quilt patterns, Wright will also evaluate period quilts from the 1800s for attendees and sign copies of her 2019 publication Quilts of Love and Valor: Reproduction Quilts and an Authentic Civil War Love Story. Anna Villareal, Director of the Harlan-Lincoln House, remarks, “This is a wonderful opportunity to see how history can be told in the different and unique medium of fabric. And it is fantastic that history comes from within our community, over one hundred and fifty years ago.” Admission is free, and donations are welcomed to support operations of the Harlan-Lincoln House at Iowa Wesleyan University.

For more information or to propose a quilt for evaluation at the event, contact Anna Villareal at [email protected] or call the Harlan-Lincoln House museum at (319) 385-6319.

The mission of the Harlan-Lincoln House at Iowa Wesleyan University and its collection is to interpret the site to the public for its significance to the Harlan and Lincoln families, to reinforce the relationship to Iowa Wesleyan University, and to fulfill the home’s vital role in the living history of the University and the Mount Pleasant community.  For more information on the museum or to schedule a tour visit https://harlanlincolnhouse.org.