Jean Wells-Keenan: Hall of Fame quilter

Just after celebrating the 35th Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show - and her 35th year in business at Stitchin' Post - Jean Wells-Keenan headed east to Marion, Indiana, where she was inducted into The Quilters Hall of Fame.

"Marion, Indiana, is like going back to the '50s," Wells-Keenan said.

The Quilters Hall of Fame is located in the Marie Webster House, named after the woman who sparked the revival in American quilting.

"She was an early quilter in the '30s, and she designed a lot of quilting patterns and sold then," Wells-Keenan explained.

Wells-Keenan hung an 18-quilt exhibit at the Hall of Fame and "for two days I did a walking tour of the quilts."

The quilts she selected represented work from her earliest quilts to her current contemporary work. She also offered quilts that she featured in her 28 books.

It is in large part those books and other quilting education endeavors that earned Wells-Keenan a port in the Hall of Fame.

"The honor isn't necessarily for quilting ability," she said. "They were honoring not only me as a quilter but what I've done for the industry."

That, of course, includes founding the largest outdoor quilt show in the nation.

The induction came as a result of a letter-writing campaign by quilters from across the nation who urged that Wells-Keenan be honored for her work.

It was an interesting moment for Wells-Keenan, who reflected that such honors have been bestowed before upon her family.

"My dad, about 20 years ago, was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame," she said. "I would never have dreamed about being in the Hall of Fame, so it was a nice honor. It was never a

goal."