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About Us
The Pieceful Dreams Quilt Company was another “hamster” idea! One of many running endlessly on an exercise wheel in my head. My husband, Robb, attached this term to the thoughts that flowed through my brain and poured out my mouth. It was like a small animal on a treadmill, never quite knowing when to stop. Finally, either through delirium or exhaustion, it jumps off the wheel and into space. (Do hamsters land with all four feet on the ground?) |
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The better part of my career has been in the museum field as a curator of collections. I have worked mostly in the Victorian Era (1843-1901), taking steps back and forth, depending upon the age of the artifact or exhibit. It was in this environment that my love for fabrics, handiwork and quilts developed. Most of my time was spent with Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, NE. This institution holds the second largest quilt collection next to the State’s own Historical Society. While caring for the antique and vintage quilts, I began to appreciate the construction methods, delicate materials, and the creative makers. |
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Like any museum, the Stuhr would have busy hectic days followed by quiet interludes. As things settled down, my colleagues and I would take a break to slip into “pieceful dreams.” This was never a drug-induced state, but a chance to converse about the design and marketing of ideas and products. I usually focused on textiles; their study, history, preservation and teaching. Yes, it was pretty “heady” stuff for us farm girls.
It was during one of these sessions in 1996, that the “charmalade” charm quilt kit idea was born. And what better name for the institution to carry this product than the Pieceful Dreams Quilt Company! So this brings us to a good stopping point—for now. I will, however, return with more of the story as “the wheel turns.”
—Angela McLean |
