Quilt while you're ahead

Quilt while you're ahead

Posted on: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 5:51 AM
By Hayley Kappes
Killeen Daily Herald

Quilts are not just a comfy way to keep warm and cozy. Families pass down one of a kind quilts to children and grandchildren for a reason. They are a lasting artifact of a time, place and people who want to be remembered.

The Shades of Texas Quilt Show this weekend at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center will present more than 220 quilts, clothes and dolls from across the state.

The show will feature a judged show and a "block challenge" for members of the Crossroads to Texas Quilt Guild, who sponsored the event. For the challenge, members must construct a 15 square inch quilt based on the theme of Texas wildflowers.

Nancy Judd, special events chair for the show, said entries will be judged on creativity, embellishments and use of dyed and painted fabric.

"Quilting is such a creative process to start with," Judd said. "You have to find your design, then try to find fabric that will work with it. Assembling and piecing the quilt is all done by hand, so it can take up to six months to make one, depending on how big it is and how much time you're able to devote to it every day."

The judges will offer detailed constructive criticism on each quilt, so participants will know exactly what they were looking for.

Judd randomly discovered her passion for quilting.

"On a rainy weekend when my husband was out, I tuned into PBS," Judd said. "There was a quilting show on, and I pretty much got into it because I was bored and there was nothing else to do."

Gayle Smith owns Quiltin' Country in Killeen, a store that specializes in fabrics and materials for quilt-making. The store takes the guess work out of quilting by matching fabrics and making examples of what will work with different designs. They also offer beginner quilting classes.

Smith is a member of the guild and entered a quilt into the competition.

"It's addictive. You make one and you're already thinking about the next one," Smith said. "It's very rewarding because there's so much pleasure in creating something and giving it away. Every quilt is unique."

Quilters often form "bees," a take on sewing circles where eight to 15 people come together because of a common creative interest, socialize and quilt.

"The friendship and fellowship of the women is great," Smith said. "We like being able to work on our projects together and see what everyone else is doing."

Smith's bee members have made over 100 quilts for patients undergoing dialysis at Scott and White Hospital, and plan to do the same at Metroplex Hospital.

"When we give a quilt to a patient, they are just so overwhelmed," she said. " I like being able to give these quilts away. It makes people feel that they're cared for."

Smith, who has been quilting since the 1960s, said she can't wait to see the work submitted from all over Texas.

"The talent at these shows blows you away," she said. "We just really want the public to be able to see how many different ways there are to make quilts."

Contact Hayley Kappes at hayleyk@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7559.

Infobox: The Shades of Texas Quilt Show is at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=28060