Jul 26

Jul 26 Greene County Museum to feature 50 years of needlework and quilting

SNOW HILL — The Greene County Museum will open its next exhibit, “1976-2026: Celebrating 50 Years of Needlework and Quilting,” in August at 107 NW Third St. in Snow Hill.

Presented by Greene Needleworkers, the exhibit will showcase needlework and quilting styles that have been popular during the past 50 years. Displays will range from the crewel embroidery of the 1970s and counted cross-stitch of the 1980s to needlepoint, a craft that has seen renewed interest in recent years.

The exhibit will also feature knitting, embroidery, quilting, tatting, chicken scratch, redwork, bluework, smocking and fabric yo-yos.

First picture: from left: Clara Gagnon, Dorothy Thomas. Front: Sandra Thomas. Photographer: Sharon Harrison

Opportunities to connect with other needleworkers and learn new techniques have changed over the decades. During the 1970s, Cooperative Extension groups gathered regularly, and knitting and needlepoint classes were offered through the Greene County campus of Lenoir Community College.

Today, Greene Needleworkers meets Monday afternoons at the Greene County Senior Center, and another group gathers at the Greene County Public Library. Online resources, including YouTube videos, Facebook groups and other quilting and sewing communities, have also made instruction more accessible.

Second picture: Sabrina Harrison 6 year old needleworker. Photographer: Dorothy Thomas ( grandmother)

Organizers said one-on-one instruction remains one of the best ways to learn, particularly when one generation shares its knowledge and skills with another.

The museum will host an official meet-and-greet with local needleworkers from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 20.

The exhibit will be open to visitors from Aug. 10 through Sept. 30. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.