 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Quilt trip
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN, Times Staff Writer HUDSON -- The every-other-year quilt show, Sew Many Quilts 2002, at Veterans Memorial Park on Saturday and Sunday is much more than one show. It's two quilt shows, one quilt show and sale, one quilt auction, three learning experiences (one of them for kids), plus fashion shows, door prizes, a "Merchant's Mall," and a boutique where members' quilted items will be for sale. "We've been working on this since the last one two years ago," said Kathy Hill, president of the sponsor, West Pasco Quilters' Guild Inc., and chairwoman of this year's show. "About 2,500 people attended in 2000," Ms. Hill said. "The members' boutique was so popular that everything was sold the first day of the show -- quilted table runners, wall hangings, place mats, coasters, baby quilts, clothing and consignment items. "We all ran home that night and finished things we had started so we would have something to sell on Sunday," Ms. Hill said. Sew Many Quilts 2002 has two traveling exhibits this year, "Manhole Covers 2001 -- A Quilt Oddity" and "Miniatures From the Heart." "Shirley MacGregor lived in Japan and noticed the manhole covers there had beautiful designs," Ms. Hill said. "She sent photos of them to quilting friends in England, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S. and other countries. She got back 40 wall hangings" based on those manhole covers. "Those 40 wall hangings will be in this show." The second special exhibit is 30 miniature quilted squares, rectangles and circles that were winners in the Chitra Publications contest. The heart of the show, of course, will be the 300 quilts made by the guild's own members. Several will be for sale from $250 to $400. Quilt tops will go for $100 and up. "Our quilters' guild is the largest one in the state of Florida," Ms. Hill said. "Right now we have 270 members." Members have also made 50 quilted wall hangings no larger than 24 inches along each side that will be sold in a silent auction, with proceeds going to Friends of the Veterans' Memorial Park. "There are quite a few with a patriotic theme," Ms Hill said. For the auction, the quilter sets a minimum bid, and bidders write down their increasingly higher bids on sheets near the quilts. At 3 p.m. Sunday, the quilts will be awarded to the highest bidder. The winner doesn't have to be present to claim the quilt; guild members will call to let them know. Those not quite ready to put down $400 for a finished quilt can hope to win the Carpenters' Garden charity quilt for a limited investment. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program. "Something new this year is the children's activity area," Ms. Hill said. Kids ages 5 to 12 can work on a quilt coloring book, complete gift bags with quilted pictures, work on lap quilts or participate in a quilters' scavenger hunt, where kids will be asked to find items in the quilts on display. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A favorite spot for quilters is likely to be the "Touch of Spring" block challenge. "We sent out to other guilds lengths of pink and teal fabric, our guild's colors," Ms. Hill said. The entrants were asked to use the pink and teal and add their own colors to make a 121/2-inch square and to put a label on the block with their name, city, state and the title of the block. The blocks had to be completed and returned to the West Pasco Quilters' Guild by Jan. 15. "These blocks will be displayed at the show, and people who come to the show will vote for their favorite," Ms. Hill said. The first-place winners in applique and in piecing will get 20 of the completed blocks, including their own, plus $50 in cash and additional fabric to put the blocks together to make a quilt. The Merchants' Mall will have 13 vendors selling quilt racks, antique jewelry made from sewing materials and quilting supplies. At 1 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, National Quilt Association certified judge and teacher Irene Sherman will give a talk, "More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Quilting," a humorous lecture founded on historical fact, going from 3400 B.C. to today. There will also be "Look and Learn" demonstrations of quilting throughout the day and door prizes. At a glanceWHAT: Sew Many Quilts WHERE: Veterans Memorial Park, 14333 Hicks Road, Hudson WHEN: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday TICKETS: $4 (no baby strollers allowed)
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From today's Pasco Times |
