QUILT SHOW: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF HISTORY

By Esther Nunley

Original Publish Date: September 21, 2022

The Heritage Quilt Guild and the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum are joining to celebrate the Museum’s 40-year anniversary with the opening of the 35th Annual Quilt Show entitled “Celebrating 40 Years of History” with a month-long display of quilts made by area artisans. Additional activities are planned as well during the month of October.

Museum members tour free while non-members pay a $5 entrance fee. Seniors (over 60) and students are discounted to $3. Entrance to the Museum is free for all during the annual Pumpkintown Festival on Oct. 8. The event is sponsored by Denso Manufacturing, Tennessee Arts Commission, McMinn County and the City of Athens.

The Guild will be receiving quilts for the show on Thursday, Sept.22, Friday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m.-to 4p.m. The entries are not limited to Guild members and are open to the public, however, if you are not a member of the Heritage Quilt Guild, you will be limited to entering five pieces. Categories of entry are Applique, Modern, Small Pieced Bed, Large Pieced Bed, Mixed Technique, Miscellaneous, Group (where three or more people work on the project), Large Wall Hanging, Small Wall Hanging (under 36 inches).

The show will begin Saturday Oct. 1, at 10 a.m., and end on Saturday, Oct. 30, at 4 p.m. A judging of quilts will lead the event with an awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1. Awards will be first, second, third place and honorable mention. Awards will be given in all categories. Superlative categories will be recognized with Judge’s Choice, Best of Show, Best Handwork, Long Arm Quilted, Sit Down Long Arm Quilted, and Viewer’s Choice. There will also be a Guild Challenge award for Guild members only.

A lecture will be given by Kathleen Rountree on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m., entitled “A Joyful Journey: From the Bear’s Claw to the Best in Show.” She will share her triumphs and failures while she learned to detail antique linens, laces, tablecloths, and hankies. Rountree has spent a lifetime quilting and has found this unique style of quilting using decorative linens to be very rewarding.

Rountree is a classical musician and a university professor. She is also an internationally-noted fiber artist and quilter. Her works have received recognition at national and international shows. She is active in festivals and competitions across the country. She has also had the opportunity to judge rather than compete and she makes quilts to be donated to people in need.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., she will lead a class called “Upcycle Your Vintage Table Linens.” This class is for those who have old linens like table scarves or handkerchiefs with lace edgings that would like to create something useful from them. She will teach participants how to make a new creative piece using the old piece.

If you are planning to take the classes there is a supply list at the museum that needs to be picked up when you register for the class. Supplies include a standard sewing machine, pins, and scissors. The cost is $35 for non-members and $30 for museum members.

Marilyn Hoenie will teach a “Mystery Quilt” class on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The class is a beginner-friendly project where a wonderful quilt made of six basic blocks will be taught. There are new techniques that the experienced quilter will learn during this class. She will be teaching each block completion throughout the class. Everything for the whole quilt will be cut and you will be able to finish at least one of the 12” blocks.

Hoenie is a local quilter and apparel seamstress, plus a pattern designer and teacher. She has created theater and dance costumes and has over 40 years of sewing, quilting, and crating experience. She is an award-winning quilter and has experience selling sewing/embroidery machines. She may be able to teach you something new about your machine!

There is a supply list at the museum for this class that describes how to choose your fabric for this project along with many other instructions. You will also need a sewing machine and other basic supplies. The cost for this class is $35 for non-members and $30 for museum members.

The museum did its first quilt exhibit in 1984 and holds one of the largest antique quilt collections in the Southeast region with more than 150 quilts. We published a book in 2018, “Stories Among the Threads,” available at the Museum which highlights a part of our own collection including the history of two quilts connected with our heritage at the Museum. The appliqued quilt named “Feathered Star” created by Sara Ross Wilson, is used as our logo and is featured on the book cover. The second one is the School House Quilt adopted by us in 1989 as our signature quilt to represent the former McMinn County High School where we currently reside. Sarah “Sallie” Moore is the creator of the quilt.