Cathy Tucker of Lake Forest 105 quilts to wounded Afghan soldiers at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, Hines Medical Center in Chicago and Great Lakes Medical Center in Waukegan.

Quilt Show Chairman Jean Rock of Deerfield with the raffle quilt.

Village Quilters of Lake Bluff/Lake Forest is thrilled to announce its upcoming quilt show, Quilts from the Village XII, at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake on Oct. 14-15. (See show details at the end of this article).

The 150 members of the guild travel from Deerfield, Gurnee, Lake Forest, Libertyville and beyond to attend monthly meetings as well as join weekly sewing bees to work on the many beautiful quilts that will be exhibited at the show.

Quilt Show Chairperson Jean Rock feels that “it is guaranteed to be a roaring success. Members have been preparing for the show for the past two years. The wonderful thing is that this is a collaborative effort, where the inexperienced quilter can be proud to show her work right alongside that of the world-renowned one. Not only does that benefit our members, but also, the public at large gets to see quilts that span all levels of experience. It’s inspirational!”

Besides the 200 quilts that will be displayed, there will be a boutique of hand-made items by members, a silent auction, a merchant mall, a demonstration where quilters will “sit and sew,” an exhibit of 1930s quilts as well as a chance for children to make and donate a quilt. Up-and-coming urban quilter Mary Fons will be the guest speaker on both show days.

One wonders why these people derive so much enjoyment from making quilts? While the hours and hours they spend piecing and stitching seem to fulfill a longing to leave something of themselves for posterity, there exists, too, a camaraderie that quilters worldwide seem to establish amongst one another.

Most adore fabrics and collect what is lovingly referred to as a “stash”. Quilt “shop-hopping” is a great pastime, too. When taking vacations, quilters will rarely pass up the opportunity to seek out local fabric stores and quilt shops no matter where in the world they may find themselves.

Of course, one of the prime reasons for quilting is establishing friendships through a common bond. Whenever one quilter meets another, it is a given that he or she has met a new friend. Guild members will travel miles to hear renowned speakers from all over the country. What a wonderful opportunity to learn innovative techniques and see amazing quilts that have won top prizes at international quilt shows.

Not only is quilting an exciting and challenging hobby, which feeds the creative spirit, it is a passion and somewhat of an addiction. All quilts exhibited in Quilts from the Village XII represent the work of the guild members over several years. The extensive interests of these members are strongly represented in their magnificent work.

Visitors to the quilt show will discover pieces that range from quilts made from Civil War and 1930s reproduction fabrics to hand-appliquéd floral art quilts to abstracts and animals, and every other variety and combination imaginable. They are either hand-quilted or machine-quilted, professionally or personally. There are miniature quilts and those large enough for king-size beds. Many of the quilts on exhibit will be for sale.

Jo Murray of Lake Forest, one of the original members of Village Quilters, established almost 25 years ago, says that “it was a chance to learn a different type of needlework. I remember my grandmother quilted and I wanted to try it.” What surprised her was how quickly the guild flourished. Dorothy Roderick, of Libertyville, has sewn for years and made many quilts. She volunteers her time, providing workshops for guild members in a program called Members Teaching Members, in which she encourages quilters to donate their work to the silent auction portion of the show. Many others sew because it provides a creative outlet to accomplish something that they can use and enjoy for themselves or give to others.

Giving back to the community is the guild’s main focus. Members of Village Quilters are involved in many projects where quilts are made for organizations such as Project Linus, Quilts of Valor, pillow cases, receiving blankets and quilts for Cook County Hospital, to name but a few. Recently, a donation of 105 quilts was made for soldiers injured in Afghanistan.

Cathy Tucker, Service Chairperson, collected and sent them to Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany, Hines Medical Center in Chicago and Great Lakes Medical Center in North Chicago. Presently, members are making quilts for the homeless in Waukegan and are also teaching quilting and sewing skills to young women at the not-for-profit Allendale Association. They have also volunteered their time to do interactive demonstrations at the Lake County Discovery Museum.

The raffle quilt that will be displayed at the quilt show this year is clearly a masterpiece, with its vividly colorful Double Wedding Ring pattern and hand-appliquéd floral motif around the border. This breathtaking quilt is a collaborative effort between The Sheridan Stitchers sewing bee and other Guild members. As in past years, the show promises to be a huge success and will delight quilters and non-quilters alike.

Quilts from the Village XII
Lake County Fairgrounds,
1060 E. Peterson Road
Grayslake, Illinois

Friday, October 14 – 10am – 6pm
Saturday, October 15 – 10am – 5pm

Admission: $7, Seniors $6, Children under 12 free.

For more information call Jean Rock, Quilt Show Chairperson at 847.317.9340 or go to villagequilters.org