Quilters gather for show at CC
by Elysia Conner
One class invited all “strippers and wannabes” to enjoy the process of strip quilting at this year’s Quilt Wyoming.
Amateur and professional quilters from around the state gathered at Casper College for the annual Quilt Wyoming from July 18-19.
The event featured classes, a quilt show, a banquet and a vendor fair.
This year’s theme, “Quilting Along the Trails,” honored Wyoming’s history of pioneer settlers in covered wagons who made their homes on the frontier.
According to Wyoming State Quilt Guild member Kelly Shipley, it takes the hosts more than two years to plan the event. The Wyoming State Quilt Guild booked instructors at least one year in advance.
Nationally known quilting instructor and 2006 Bush Fellows recipient Vi Colombe presented a trunk show in Durham Hall.
National teachers Carole Liebzeit and Barb Olson also taught classes over the weekend.
The event was a success, with more than 200 patrons voting on the best quilts of the show. Winners received ribbons and cash prizes.
First-place winners of the WSQG Quilt Wyoming Show were Marsha Davis in the small quilt category with “Small Sunbonnet Sue,” Irene Eeles in the medium category with “Butterfly Mexican Star” and Debbie Porter for large quilts with “Wheel of Mystery.”
Porter also won best of show with “Baltimore Beauty.”
The WSQG also held a “Shop Hop” contest in preparation for the show to promote the quilting supply shops in Wyoming.
Contestants tried to visit as many of the state’s shops as possible for a chance to win a sewing machine donated by Friends & Company of Cody, along with other prizes.
Three Casper quilting supply shops, Kalico Kat Quilting Shop, Prism Quilt & Machine and Quilts-N-Things, supported the contest.
Quilters connected with the past in the Quilt Wyoming 2008 Challenge. They designed quilts made of the same seven fabrics from kits sold at the 2007 Quilt Wyoming.
All seven fabrics had to be used to design three-layer quilts inspired by the “Quilting Along the Trails” theme.
Two categories of competitors had a chance to win prizes in the Quilt Wyoming Challenge. “Wagon Masters” were those who had taught a class for money, sold a quilt or won first place in a previous WSQG challenge. “Pioneers” were those who had not.
“Stragglers,” those who had not “finished the journey,” were allowed to show their unfinished pieces.
The “Wagon Master” winners in the 2008 Challenge were Carol Kolf in first place, Barbara Graham in second and Donna Weiden in third place.
“Pioneer” runners-up were Joan Anderson on third place with “Cabin Along the Trail” and Darlene Christensen in second with “Wagons Ho.”
Kelly Shipley of Casper won first place in the “Pioneer” category with her quilt, titled “Mini Sampler.”
Shipley always had wanted to make a miniature sampler and decided to create something like what women would have made as they traveled across the plains.
She enjoys the competition because she finds it interesting how quilters using the same basic fabrics will come up with such different quilts.
“You get such different interpretations of the theme,” Shipley said. “It’s a great hobby.”
She added that some decide to buy, sell, keep or give their quilts away at the end of the show.
Next year, Cheyenne will host Quilt Wyoming with “Quilting at the Crossroads” as the theme.
For more information about Quilt Wyoming, other events or the Wyoming State Quilt Guild, log on to http://www.wsqg.org/