Quilters to display their creation

Show opens Friday

By SERRA MUSCATELLO Journal Staff Writer
NEW ULM — Around 250 quilts will be displayed at the Prairie Piecemakers Quilt Guild’s Quilt Show this weekend.

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 28 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 201 N. State St.

“It’s fun to see what other people are doing,” said Joleen Koch, president of the Prairie Piecemakers Quilt Guild, “You go home and are inspired to make more quilts.”

Members of the Prairie Piecemakers Quilt Guild are quilt enthusiasts — both novices and experts — who share their love of fabric, design, color and the finished product, according to Koch.

The guild held its first show two years ago. It now alternates with a group from Mankato each year to hold a quilt show, Koch said.

Approximately 600 visitors attended the first quilt show.

“We do anticipate that many or more people, Koch said, “St. Paul’s is a beautiful facility for this.”

The quilts featured at the show have never been displayed in public, Koch said.

The event will showcase hand-quilted and machine quilted pieces — everything from wall hangings and Christmas tree skirts to full-size king and queen quilts.

About 10 or 11 vendors including quilts shops, a wooden jewelry maker and others will be at the show.

A “Tenney Quilt” made in 1928 will be displayed. Heidi Haagenson, who wrote the book, “The Tenney Quilt” will be signing her book and giving a presentation.

This year, the guild decided to make quilts for the new Habitat for Humanity homeowners, who will receive the quilts during a presentation at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

At the guild’s February meeting on Valentine’s Day, members brought in sewing machines and worked on the Habitat for Humanity project.

“It was a beehive of activity,” said Koch.

They completed one of the quilts that night and finished the other two quilts later.

This quilt show will also feature some youngsters’ 4-H sewing projects. The guild made a financial contribution toward a county-wide 4-H sewing project, Koch said.

The event will also have door prizes, a raffle quilt and demonstrations every hour.

A “Quilt Ladies Lunch” with a menu of BBQs, egg salad sandwiches and homemade bars will be served, Koch said.

Fabric bags and birdhouse gourds will be available for sale at the show, Koch said. “They’re (the gourds) fun, fun, fun,” said Koch, “These gourds are covered with fabric.”

The show is not a “judged” event, Koch said. But it is held to share a love of quilting and to inspire others to join in quilt making.

“We have some very prolific quilters,” said Koch, “Really, we want people to come and see it. There are so many creative people in the guild.”

The guild, which formed about 12 years ago with 30 members, now has close to 80 members from the area.

The group meets monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month September through May usually at Leifeld Hall.