Quilters sew up show this Saturday

Clara Orr, left, and Martha Thomason work on Sue Weaver's fairy tale quilt during a Thursday morning meeting at the Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center. After a club member has put in enough time, her quilt will be worked on by the whole club. The quilt owner, of course, is responsible for bringing the sweets to the meeting. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The art of hand quilting will take center stage this Saturday at the McKinley County Quilter's biennial quilt show.

The public is invited to attend the exhibit, which takes placed only one day every two years. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 6 at the Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center, 705 Montoya Blvd. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children; kids under six years are free.

The theme of this year's show is "Flowers from My Garden." Nearly 100 hand-sewn quilts, crafted by some of the finest quilters from Gallup and surrounding communities, will be on display, with many of them reflecting a floral theme.

The show will also feature a sales table, sewing demonstrations, door prizes, and a raffle. This year's raffle prizes include a hand-appliqu queen size quilt, a wall hanging, and a pair of pillows. Raffle tickets are $1 and will be for sale at the door.

This year's show is dedicated to the memory of Dorothy Wallace, a charter member of the guild who passed away in January 2006.

The McKinley County Quilters Guild has its show to promote the art of hand quilting and to raise money for charitable and community projects. Members of the guild have donated quilts to nursing home residents, abuse victims, and survivors of house fires and other disasters.

According to Nelli Kelsey, the vice-president of the guild, this year the organization donated 50 lap quilts to seriously injured American soldiers receiving treatment at the Walter Reed Medical Center, lap quilts to more nursing home residents, and nap-time mats to a local Head Start program. One member donated baby quilts to parents whose premature babies died.

The guild also made financial donations to charities helping Gulf Coast hurricane victims.

The guild is open to experienced quilters or to individuals who are interested in learning how to quilt. "Some are lifetime quilters," explained Libby Kyselka, the guild's outgoing president. "This is where I learned to quilt."

The guild currently has 27 active quilters and 38 members. The group offers two meetings each week in the quilting room of the Larry Brian Mitchell Recreation Center: 7-9 p.m. each Tuesday and 9:30-11:30 a.m. each Thursday. Interested community members are welcome to join the guild.