Wednesday, May 16, 2007

"Celebrate Quilts" 25th Annual Quilts Show & Competition

“Celebrate Quilts” the 25th Annual Quilt Show and Competition opens May 5th at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens. 200 antique and contemporary quilts will be on display in one of the south's largest quilt shows. The Awards Ceremony begins May 5th at 2 pm with quilts judged in a variety of categories including beginners through advanced. Lectures, videos, workshops and a miniature quilt silent auction are highlights of the Show. Nationally recognized instructor Cindy Blackberg will teach a workshop on June 30th. Retired seniors will also be demonstrating traditional quilting around a quilt frame each Thursday morning.

A few new components to the Quilt Show have also been added this year. A new category to the show has been added and includes over 80 paper quilt squares made by Athens City School students that visitors to the Museum will be able to vote on for winner of the Kids’ Viewers Choice Award.

Along with these beautiful quilts, the exhibit will include a brief history of quilting and explain some of the techniques and terms used by quilters that may not be familiar to some folks as well as the opportunity to try your hand at designing your own quilt square. Throughout the exhibit there will also be quilting story times for children that will be scheduled during the two-month exhibit and an opportunity to have your quilt appraised.

Cindy Blackberg will be presenting a workshop about the Mariner’s Compass June 30, 2007 from 9:00 AM till 3:00 PM. Registration is $45 for Museum Members, $50 for Non Members. Learn to easily hand or machine piece the classic pattern Mariner’s Compass. Piece on 11” block (sewn into a 16” square) in class that can be made into a pillow or the center of a medallion quilt. Accuracy will be achieved by using template stamps. Tips will also be given in color placement and how to make your block lie flat with no ruffling! See the example at www.cindyblackberg.com.

The Quilt Show formerly won the prestigious "Top Twenty Tourist Attractions In The Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society. It has also been featured in several national magazines including Southern Living, Country Living, Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, Quilts, Reader's Digest and more.

Funding for the 25th Annual Quilt Show was provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission, Tennessee South East Development District, Stitches From the Heart, Mammaw’s Thimble Fabric and Quilt Shop, Heritage Quilt Guild, Athens Federal Community Bank, Southeast Bank and Trust, BB&T Bank, Little Blessing Quilt Shop, Out of Towners Quilting Group, Smokey Mountain Quilters of Tennessee and the The Cherry Pit Quilt Shop.

For more information on the exhibit or workshop contact the Museum at 423-745-0329.

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