Staff photo by Clay Schuldt A large crowd of quilt enthusiasts walks the Way of the Cross Path to view the bi-annual Quiltistry display. The Way of the Cross site was one of the more difficult to access due to road construction, but this did not stop the die-hard fans. See more photos on Page 6B.

NEW ULM — A series of familiar, decorative patterns were on the rise Saturday in New Ulm.

Sites all over town were displaying quilts as part of the bi-annual Quiltistry event.

The first Quiltistry was held in 2011, but since the event is only held every other year this is the fifth Quiltistry hosted in New Ulm.

In 2017, there were six sites displaying quilts, but this year the number had expanded to nine locations including, Sewing Seeds Quilt Co, Spinning Spool Quilt Shop, The Thimble Box, Hermann Heights, The Way of the Cross, the Glockenspiel, the Lind House, Schell’s Brewery and the Brown County Museum Annex were all destinations, but a few other businesses got together a displayed quilts as well.

The event is sponsored by the three area quilting shops: The Thimble Box, Spinning Spools Quilt Shop and Sewing Seeds Quilt Company.

A special promotion was held along with the event. Visitors to each of the nine sites would receive a stamp. Anyone turning in a card with all nine stamps received a quarter bundle and would be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift certificate.

Quiltistry continues to grow each year as New Ulm has become a destination for quilting enthusiasts. The Museum Annex counted approximately 100 visitors an hour.

The museum featured vintage quilts from the early 1900s and even bi-centennial quilt honoring Brown County on the country’s 200th anniversary in 1975.

Co-owner of Sewing Seeds, Jackie Forst said this year’s Quiltistry had brought in more people than the 2017 event.

“We’re getting people from Kansas and North Carolina here,” she said.

Margret Barnes from Texas toured the quilt sites with her cousins Kathy Dressel and Nancy Woods. Barnes was visiting her cousins in St. Peter, but as quilting enthusiasts, the trio had to make the journey to New Ulm.

The next Quiltistry event will be held in 2021, but the New Ulm quilt shops are always open to anyone who has a stitch to scratch.