Do you know about Willy Wonky Quilts?

I think some quilts are meant to find us.  Once they do, they lead us down a marvellous path of discovery we never imagined.  Such was the case for Bill Volckening, aka Willy Wonky Quilts, tomorrow’s blog hop stop.   Bill is an avid collector, blogger, author, quilt dealer and purveyor of some really neat quilting related items.  Bill started collecting quilts in 1989, when he had an opportunity to attend an invitation only sale of antique quilts, curated by Shelly Zegart.  It was a pivotal moment for him as he saw quilts in a whole new light: that they are great works of art worthy of hanging on a wall.  Needless to say, at that same sale, in his words he “fell hopelessly in love” with a red, white and green “New York Beauty” quilt. Of course he bought it!  

  What he could not know at that sale was that he would come to amass a collection of over 200 quilts, nor that with his 50 New York Beauty quilts he would be creating the most comprehensive group ever assembled of this pattern.  His generosity of images and information he shares on his blog have helped me gain a new appreciation for the multitude of variations possible with this one pattern. These two quilts below, from his collection, simply make me weak at the knees. And of course, aren’t all those little spikes made from small pieces!    

  Some of his stunning New York Beauty quilts are featured in the August/September 2012 Quilter’s Newsletter.  And 30 to 35 of his quilts will be on exhibition next year at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.  Mark your calendars and declare a road trip!   A rare breed of collector, Bill’s collection has remarkable depth, clearly informed by his keen eye and formal art training.  His quilts span from a late 1700’s wholecloth to contemporary quilts, like one of his latest additions, a 1960’s upholstery sample quilt, with a vast array between these two.   Recently, Bill has added “quilt maker” to his resume.  His first quilt hung at the quilt show in Sister’s Oregon a few weeks ago and won the viewers choice award!   Bill’s blog is enthusiastic, energetic and engaging,  and I will continue to follow his quilting adventures with great interest!     If you are visiting this blog for the first time, be sure to check out my ten week giveaway celebrating the launch of my new website and blog.  For a chance to win, leave a comment at my inaugural post about your favourite quilt from one of our books.   Thanks for stopping by.   Happy Stitching!