June 18, 2025                  7 – 9 PM             Walpole K of C Hall

Diana Annis and Anita Loscalzo                Website: none
Topic: "Documenting Your Quilts"                                                

Quilts can be found throughout American history. They frequently become family heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, over the years the story behind a quilt is often lost.

Diana Annis and Anita Loscalzo are members of RNQG who are dedicated to collecting and recording the stories behind our quilts. They are active volunteers to the Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project. This organization has documented more than 8000 quilts since its inception in 1994. The stories collected convey important insights about the lives of Massachusetts women from the colonial period to the present. 

Their lecture covers the following topics:

   -- Documentation vs. Appraisal
   -- Labels!
   -- How to keep track of your quilts
   -- Home Methods
   -- Proprietary Software (free & not)
   -- Quilt Index
   -- Mass Quilts
   -- Excel Notebooks

Anita's career has focused on textile and quilt history for many years.   Now an independent researcher, she develops exhibitions and lectures on quilt and textile history.  She has worked for the New England Quilt Museum for more than 17 years.  She was initially curator of the museum, responsible for the acquisition, exhibition, conservation and storage of the museum’s collection of quilts and related materials as well as all aspects of artistic programming and display.  She continues at the NEQM as a Curatorial Volunteer and Consultant.  She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the American Quilt Study Group, giving oversight to all publication activities of the organization.

Diana's bio can be found on the November calendar page.