Women Stitching Identity: Two Kentucky Counterpanes with Laurel McKay Horton

Saturday July 19, 2025 1:00pm – 2:00pm Gethsemane Episcopal Church, 111 E 9^th St. Marion, IN.

The Quilters Hall of Fame is proud to present Laurel McKay Horton as its 2025 honoree. A distinguished quilt scholar, researcher, author, editor, lecturer, consultant, and teacher, Horton has made significant contributions that have shaped the world of quilting in research, publications, museums and preservation. Horton’s impressive career includes ten years as editor of “Uncoverings,” the American Quilt Study Group’s prestigious annual publication.

Laurel’s presentation compares and contrasts two early American white bed covers and details the lives of their makers. Maria Upshaw (1770-1852) was born to a wealthy Virginia family and came to Kentucky with her husband in 1801. Elizabeth O’Neal (1786-1892) grew up in a large family on a farm in Nelson County, Kentucky. They were among the numerous daughters of Revolutionary War veterans who silently expressed their identity as patriotic American women through their quilts and embroidered and woven counterpanes. This presentation summarizes the results of Laurel’s two decades of research on the origins and significance of these largely ignored and misinterpreted textile treasures, serving as an example of the scholarship and skills for which she is widely recognized.