Quilter’s guild names winners in national show
Submitted by Jayne Borgelt
Festival co-chairs Marcia Bowen of Arlington Heights and Tomi Russell of Algonquin congratulated the winners of The Northwest Suburban Quilters Guild’s A Festival of Quilts at October’s guild meeting. handmade ribbons, created by guild member Lynn Meyer, were delivered to the winners.
The largest quilting event in the guild’s 33-year history was held at the Prairie Stone Sports and Wellness Center in Hoffman Estates in September. More than 1,100 visitors participated in the challenge to judge and vote for more than 300 quilted items in seven categories during the festival’s two-day run.
“Krentz’s Kranes” by Sharron Evans of Bartlett took home two awards: first place for Large Quilts and Best of Show. Sharron, a member of NSQG for more than 10 years, has been quilting for more than 20 years. Her Best of Show quilt has an Indigo background, which surrounds a variation of the Lonestar pattern, traditionally machine-pieced, and infused with Asian fabrics of purples, blues, gold, green and magenta.
The center design is an adaptation of Jan Krentz’s “Salsa” pattern, which Sharron began at Jan Krentz’s Quilting by the Lake class in Auburn, N.Y.
Piecing the quilt together took Sharron one year before she passed it along to her friend, Kathleen Stuart, a long arm quilter and resident of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. Kathy created original crane drawings, inspired by traditional Japanese Sashiko designs, and quilted the cranes in gold metallic thread, which adorn the quilt’s border. Sharron added the final sparkle by embellishing the quilt with Swarovski crystals.
Sharron never makes quilts specifically for competitions; she quilts for the fun and challenge of working with color, patterns and techniques.
“If I think the quilt came out especially nice and an interesting competition comes up, then I will submit the piece,” she said. “I never want quilting to send me to therapy — it is my therapy.”
Sharron is no stranger to quilt shows, however. Just this past September, Sharron took an honorable mention at the Quilt Expo in Madison, Wis. Among her many ribbons from local quilt shows, Sharron won first place at a quilt show in the Adirondacks and had been juried into the prestigious International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.
Lynn Meyer of Arlington Heights, who served on the festival committee, also won two first-place awards: in the Accessories Category “Spool Tote” and for her “Leftovers and a Pear” in the Miniature Quilts Category.
Judy Babb of McHenry won first-, second- and third-place divisions in the Garments Category: “Pieced Denim Jacket,” “Flowered Jacket,” and Black and White Crazy Quilt Jacket.”
Other first-place category winners include:
Ÿ Sofa Quilts: “First Baltimore” by Gail Smith of Barrington.
Ÿ Wallhangings: “Cosmati Rings” by Joan Cook of Palatine.
Second- and third-place category winners:
Large quilt:
Ÿ “Moon Glow” by Mary Ann Bialkowski of Itasca.
Ÿ “Hugs and Kisses” by Gail Smith of Barrington.
Accessories:
Ÿ “Poppies in My William Morris Log Cabin” by Debbie Yates of Arlington Heights.
Ÿ “Christmas Celebration” by Jane Reents of Wauconda.
Miniature Quilts:
Ÿ “Garden Party” by Sandy Schweitzer of Crystal Lake.
Ÿ “Happy Cats & Friends” by Maureen Baly of Sylvan Lake.
Sofa Quilts:
Ÿ “Flo’s Wool Garden” by Liz Armstrong of Arlington Heights.
Ÿ “Morning Glory Star” by Janice Cronkright of Des Plaines.
Wallhangings:
Ÿ “Sunflowers” by Theresa Bronk of Arlington Heights.
Ÿ “Woolly Baskets” by Liz Armstrong of Arlington Heights.
Quilt enthusiasts from seven states purchased the “Almost 100” raffle quilt tickets, some as far away as Nevada, New York and New Hampshire, which Violet Koenig of Des Plaines won. Sue Harmon of Park Rapids, Minn., won the American Girl Doll, complete with clothing and accessories crafted by NSQG members.
Nancy Blanchard, NSQG president, would like to thank everyone in the community who came out to the quilt festival, the quilt artists for their entries and to all of the members, vendors and volunteers who worked to make this event a success. The next show is the fall of 2013.
Northwest Suburban Quilters’ Guild was incorporated to bring together people interested in the art of quilting. Membership is open to all that have an interest in or would like to learn more about quilting.
Meetings feature nationally known quilting celebrities and are at 7:15 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at Concorde Banquets, 20922 N. Rand Road, Kildeer. For details, visit www.nsqg.net.
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