Piece be with you
Well put together quilting show returns to Newport
By Linda Turner Griepentrog
For THE TODAY
Gone are the days when quilting was done only by our grandmothers using old clothing for piecing. Today, it’s a multi-million-dollar industry attracting artistic types of all ages. A great sampling of both modern and traditional quilts will be on display at the Oregon Coastal Quilters Guild show, “Quilts by the Sea” this Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5.
The show will feature almost 300 quilts creatively fashioned by many of the more than 150 guild members throughout Lincoln County and beyond. The show has been an annual event for more than 30 years and it continues to grow and evolve. Jane Szabo and Barbara Kinzel, co-chairs of the event, note that each year there are different offerings spanning a variety of themes, and approximately 1,200 attendees come from near and far to see the latest creations.
According to Jean Amundson, a guild member responsible for show publicity, many of the quilts in the show will be judged by Elizabeth Spannring of LaCenter, Washington, an accredited quilt judge. She will award ribbons for first through third place in a variety of categories, including both bed, designed to be showcased horizontally, and wall, designed to be shown vertically. Two quilts will be named Best of Show.
“Opting into the judging process is voluntary and free to guild members,” Amundson said. “But Spannring provides valuable feedback and constructive suggestions to help improve makers’ skills for their future works.”
Attendees can also vote for their favorite quilt in the show. The Viewers’ Choice winning quilt will be announced at the group’s August 10 guild meeting.
Display quilts fall into several different categories, including hand or machine piecing, construction techniques like appliqué, trapunto and paper piecing and other special techniques like embroidery or surface design.
In addition to the array of hanging quilts, the show also features a vendor area where show-goers can purchase fabric, notions and other quilt-related products and services, a boutique of member wares, a children’s activity area, displays of guild activities and catered food for sale. There will also be a quilt raffle for “Beneath the Sea,” a blue-green pieced creation made by several guild members. Raffle tickets sell for $1 each, or six for $5.
Other special displays include a two-day silent auction of small quilts with all proceeds going to a local charity. This year’s show also showcases the results of a “Paint Chip Challenge” in which participating members were each given two actual paint chips in an envelope to use as the colorway for their quilt, only being able to add a maximum of 10 percent of an additional color to the mix.
Each show has a featured quilter and this year’s honoree is Ruth Hutmacher of Newport, who will have a special display of her work. Hutmacher has won Best of Show twice, and one of her prize quilts went on to the American Quilt Guild show in Paducah, Kentucky.
During the two-day event there will be special quilts presented to four local military veterans. These are red, white and blue quilts made specifically to thank the recipients for their service to the country. Sizes vary, but they’re generally 60” x 70” or sometimes smaller for those recipients confined to wheelchairs. More than 500 quilts have been donated to veterans since the guild began its Veteran’s Quilt Project.
Proceeds from the show help fund the Oregon Coastal Quilters guild activities throughout the year, including donations to local and regional charities, and quilt-related groups. Recipients of past shows have included Lincoln County Historical Society, Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook and Coffee Creek Quilters in Wilsonville.
The guild meets the second Tuesday of the month at Atonement Lutheran Church in Newport, but some sub-groups meet more often. New members are always welcome.
Quilts by the Sea will be held at the Newport Recreation Center located at 225 SE Avery St. on Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Admission is $8. For more information, go to oregoncoastalquilters.org.