Common Threads Quilt Show

When I retired ten years ago, I announced that one item on my bucket list was to enter a quilt in the Prairie Quilt Guild bi-annual quilt show. Ten years later it is finally happening! I have judged quilts in a country fair for several years and graded hundreds when I taught Sewing in High School. I knew what judges look for in a quilt, but I was nervous about having someone “grade” my quilts. Two years ago I decided it was time to put my quilt out there—but COVID occurred and the Common Threads Show was canceled. Thanks to vaccines and lower numbers, the show is back–smaller but back!

I urge you to attend—if you don’t quilt, come enjoy art and crafts. A mixture of traditional and contemporary, of machine and hand crafted, huge and tiny will be on exhibit. Some vintage quilts will be on display. If you enjoy shopping, dozens of venders will have booths full of fabric, patterns, and tools—not all the items are intended for quilting. (I will spend as much time browsing in the mini-shops as admiring the entries.)

There is an “opportunity” quilt for which you may purchase chances to win.

Two “Quilters at First” quilters have quilts in the show. Here is a sneak preview of these quilts. In the hand quilted category, three quilts have been entered.

The most elegant of quilts is the “whole cloth” quilt. The hand stitching creates the pattern. There are no colors or piecing of fabric to distract from the quilting. Thousands of tiny stitches were made by needle and thread one stitch at a time. Paulette treasures this beauty in her home.

This simple pieced quilt is a show stopper due to the hand quilting. The understated color and simplicity of the pattern plus the quilting have created an heirloom. It was pieced by Barbara N. and quilted by the Quilters at First and purchased by Susan last fall at the Quilts Etc. Sale at First United Methodist Church.

Sharon is sharing her quilt that was machine pieced by Paulette and quilted at First Methodist by the hand quilters. Come see this contemporary quilt up close at the show.

I am not a hand quilter! I don’t have the patience to develop the skill– therefore my Bernina was used to make my entries.

I fell in love with the cover of the Feb.2018 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting and challenged myself to make the quilt for the Common Threads Show. It is semi-scrappy- the various fabrics are from my over flowing scrap tubs.

This is my second entry —and it is not all machine sewn. The “orange peels” are hand appliquéd.

If I missed your quilt, my apologies. I urge you to attend the Common Thread Show. It only comes around every other year. It is a feast for the eyes and mind.