Upcoming Exhibit • Opening Saturday, December 5
Every Quilt Tells a Story
Selections from the White Bluffs Quilt Museum
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What stories can a quilt tell?
A family celebration. A connection to a vanished community. An unexpected link to the American West.
Explore how color, pattern, craftsmanship, and signs of use connect each quilt to the people, places, and experiences of the past. Featuring selections from the White Bluffs Quilt Museum, this rotating exhibit invites you to look closely and discover the stories held within the stitches.
Featured Quilt • 1892
Secrets in the Seams
Made in 1892 by Betsy Logan Lee and her daughter, Lizzie, in Dodson, Missouri, the Lee Crazy Quilt brings together richly colored fabrics, decorative embroidery, and an unexpected family history.
Betsy’s youngest son, Robert E. “Bob” Lee, also known as Robert Curry, rode with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s Wild Bunch gang. This family quilt offers a surprising connection to the history of the American West.
Look closely at the embroidered details and stitched date. What catches your eye first?
Trip Around the World • 1930s–1940s
Hard Times, Soft Comforts
Edith (Hopping) Matson, a professional seamstress from Cleves, Ohio, transformed simple cotton squares into an intricate design through carefully chosen colors and precise stitching.
Her Trip Around the World quilt reflects the creativity of an era when quiltmakers brought beauty and comfort into their homes during difficult economic times. Its unusual edging and tiny stitches reward a closer look.
Follow the colors from the center outward. How does the pattern change as your eye moves?
A Closer Look • 1900–1917
Tobacco Premium Quilt
National flags, figures, and decorative motifs fill the printed panels of this quilt, dating to 1900–1917. Dark fabric strips frame the panels, while decorative stitching connects the pieces.
Made with flannel, cotton, and velvet, the quilt offers another opportunity to explore how materials and imagery can provide clues to the past.
Which details do you recognize? Which make you curious?
More stories to discover
A connection to White Bluffs
A quilt made for Elin Anderson’s birthday in 1931 preserves a tangible connection to the town of White Bluffs, where her family operated a fruit farm before the community was displaced for the Hanford project.
A record of our own time
Kennewick resident Virginia Anderton made more than 5,000 masks for her community during the COVID-19 pandemic. A quilt pieced from leftover masks preserves a record of that shared experience.
About White Bluffs Quilt Museum
Located in Richland, Washington, White Bluffs Quilt Museum preserves and shares the history, craftsmanship, and artistry of quilts. Through exhibits and educational programs, the museum connects people with quilting traditions and inspires new generations of quiltmakers.
The REACH Museum thanks White Bluffs Quilt Museum for sharing selections from its collection for Every Quilt Tells a Story.
Learn more about White Bluffs Quilt Museum (opens in a new tab)
Opening Saturday, December 5, 2026
Plan your visit
Whether you quilt, enjoy art and design, or are curious about the people behind everyday objects, Every Quilt Tells a Story offers a new way to explore the past.
Check museum hours, admission information, and holiday closures before your visit.
Plan Your Visit