Batavia show will feature 150 handmade quilts
Quilts usually start with a needle and thread and a beautiful array of fabrics. We have a quilt that started with an old chair.
The chair was a borrowed piece of furniture for a high school theater production five years ago. It caught the eye of Barb Pribble, beloved staff member at the high school. She asked Page McCloud if she could purchase the chair since it matched her dining room set. He referred her to me.
She offered to buy the chair that had been doing double duty. When it wasn't starring in a theater production, it worked at the holding the dehumidifier in the basement. Since Pribble had been so kind throughout the years to so many BHS students, I told her she could have the chair for free.
In return, she offered to make a quilt for my son who was about to graduate at the end of the year. She asked for his old T-shirts, marking his moments on the soccer field and on the cafeteria stage. I gathered them together and forgot about them until they reappeared on graduation day, in a beautiful quilt that incorporated the shirts, a musical fabric and quilting that was a variety of musical notes. It is a treasured heirloom I hope my son will share with his children someday.
I am not a quilter but I believe that a quilt is a work of art, and like all good art, it should be displayed for others to enjoy. Carla Hill felt the same way when she started the Quilt and Textile Show three years ago. It has since become one of the premier quilt shows in the area.
"I don't even sew," said Hill, "but my mother-in-law was a quilter and I really appreciate the amount of time and work it takes to make a quilt. It really is an art in fabric."
Hill is expecting a record 150 quilts for this year's show. Included will be quilts by Joyce Guenzler, a quilter from Elizabeth, Illinois who was featured as the Grand Champion winner at the Illinois State Fair.
"This year the quilt show is a weekend later than in years past," said Hill. "In fact we had some people who came last weekend not realizing the change of date."
The show brings many quilt enthusiasts to Batavia because of what it offers, It doesn't just give the attendees the opportunity to view some award winning quilts; it also offers a marketplace where quilters can find hard-to-find fabrics and supplies, and informational programs about quilt care and preservation.
"This year we have a new exhibit area," Hill said. "We wanted to get antique shops involved that have vintage fabrics, laces and notions available. We will have a special area just for that handled by Bee-Attitude Antiques."
One of the attractions of the Quilt and Textile Show is the offering of new programs each year. This year the show offers a performance of "The Quilter's Tale," the story of two women who travel the Oregon Trail in 1852.
There also will be a separate "Project Runway" type of competition that is sponsored by Prairie Shop Quilts.
"There are all types of reality shows to find the next top chef, top dog groomer, top hair stylist and top fashion designer," said Bonita Derring, owner of Prairie Shop Quilts. "We thought it was time to find the next top quilter, so we decided to hold a contest, 'Mission: Seams Impossible.'"
For the last five months the quilters in the competition have been given an assignment to create a small quilt or a quilt block that centered on the monthly theme. The themes tied into sponsors who were local businesses and organizations. Featured assignments were: Read Between the Lines, Lincoln Land, Man's Best friend, Pick a Card, Any Card and Sweet Tooth. The quilters also worked on a large quilt theme that featured the theme, America the Beautiful.
"The mini quilts that came in each month were just amazing," said Deering. "We will feature the large quilts at the show and let the people vote for their favorite."
The Quilt and Textile Show also offers awards for fan favorites.
The historic Shannon Hall at the Eastside Community Center is the perfect setting for a show such as this. To be able to view the intricate art created in fabric, lit by the light shining through the stained glass windows, is a joy.