250 quilts were on display at the Morrow County Quilt Guild’s Show at Park Avenue School in Mount Gilead last weekend. The theme of this year’s biennial show was “Quilting Jewels.” The theme brings awareness of the unique and precious quality in each quilt.
Quilters Cheryl Jason and Kim Porter introduced a new activity for the show called “bed turning.” Jason and Porter took turns telling each quilter’s story as they displayed a dozen quilts. After each quilt story was told, the quilt was “turned back” to display a different quilt and they would then tell its story.
The first quilt turned was Lee Beatty’s Heart quilt from the 1980’s. Kim Porter’s Mother Goose quilt followed. It was made from an old unfinished quilt and used a “Progress Quilt pattern from the 1930’s or 40’s. Marcella Garverick’s “States quilt” represented only 48 states. Three generations worked on it. Since the pattern was from 1955 Alaska and Hawaii weren’t included – thus the 48 states.
Sarena Johnstone told the story of the Memory quilt she made for her grandmother. It includes 64 family photos she scanned that span 100 years and six generations. Another quilt was an “Irish Chain quilt” from Marcia Haenszel. Her daughter, Linda Caudill is the 2015 “Honored Quilter.”
Other quilts included in the demonstration were: Julie Blankenship’s grandmother’s quilt from the 1920’s. It had seen some rough horseplay from the Blankenship brothers; Dorothy Houpt’s favorite “String of Pearl’s quilt; Sharon Freyman’s first “Log Cabin Quilt,” and Sheryl Bailey’s “Heaven’s Stairway Quilt.”
Pat Caudill’s grandmother’s “Sunbonnet Sue Quilt” was sewn on a treadle sewing machine. One of Janice Baker’s Fan quilts was displayed. She did many fan quilts and all were hand sewn. Roberta Shealy’s “Pinwheel Quilt” has many of the names of the founding members of the Morrow County Quilt Guild. Haenszel, Baker and Shealy were all founding members.
Diane Connell’s Red and Green patterned quilt has intricate hand sewing and she’s known for hand sewing on her quilts. Loraine Stacy’s quilt on display was made for her grandson.
Several quilters make quilts for children at Flying Horse Farm and they had a display for their group, “Snuggled in Hope.” Also on display were “Quilts of Valor” made by guild members. It’s been the guild’s tradition to make quilts for veterans. For many years they were made for Walter Reed Army Hospital. Since it closed they make quilts for Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home in Sandusky.
Quilt Show Co-chairmen, Cheryl Jason and Trudy Oliver report that there are 55 members in the guild this year. They listed Viewers’ Choices from the survey results Saturday: Dianne Connell got Bed quilt/hand quilted, Margaret Sterry was the favorite Bed quilt/machine quilted, Lap Quilt/hand quilted was Dianne Connell, Lap Quilt/machine quilted was Jean Keller, Crib quilt favorite was June Boner, Wall Hanging was Tina Baker, Appliqued Quilt was also Tina Baker, Mixed Technique was Judy Baker, Miniature Quilt honor went to Pat Thomas, Antique Quilt favorite was Cheryl Jason, Personal item was Judy Baker, Home Décor and Art Quilt honors both went to Trudy Oliver.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent with the Morrow County Sentinel and can be reached at [email protected].
