Quilt Show a panorama of personal stories

June 1, 2006
By Greta Sproul

When Barbara Oulette decided to make a 63" x 63" quilt for her niece's fortieth birthday, she knew it would be a challenge because it was her first hand-appliqued piece. But she persevered, with her friend Sandy Boober doing the machine quilting, and when she had finished, she knew that the challenge had been a rewarding one. Not only that, but she had learned some new quilting techniques and discovered how much she enjoyed hand-applique.

Oulette's hand-appliqued piece, which is called "Everlasting Beauty", will be featured in a quilt show at The Old Town Museum on June 3-4 along with other quilts whose creators are just as passionate as Oulette is about the art of quilting.

"Our group doesn't belong to the Pine Tree State Guild," Oulette said. "We're very informal. We just like to get together and make quilts. We met about twice a month."

Other pieces in the show reflect their makers' personal interests in a variety of ways. Another quilt made by Oulette incorporates a black cat motif in honor of her husband's pet black cat,"Sophie. A quilt called "A Walk Through The Garden", made by Marilyn Hoxie, is fashioned from quarter square triangles in multi-colored floral tones and surrounded by a "fence" made from sashing with yellow corner stones. Hoxie made the piece for the birth of her third granddaughter in May of 2005.

The intricacies and inventiveness of the quilts that will be displayed at the show can be breath-taking to those who still equate the art of quilting with scenes from "Little House On The Prairie." Traditional designs are still used and enjoyed by many quilters as well as by the recipients of their work, but the art of quilting is a constantly evolving one. What remains constant is the inevitable personal quality of the work.

A second featured quilt by Marilyn Hoxie is called "Flutterflies" and was made for an "Ugly Fabric Challenge" last May. "Kilee's Bunnies" was machine-pieced and machine-quilted by Nancy Bradeen for her granddaughter, the colors and bunny motif chosen to match the little girl's nursery. Sharon Buchanan, another grandmother in the group, will display a piece called "Bearly Waiting," which she made in a variety of colors while awaiting the birth of her grandson, whose gender was unknown at the time.

Whether a doting grandmother, a cat lover, or a participant in an "Ugly Fabric Challenge", the quiltmakers behind the pieces at next weekend's quilt show are the stewards of a classic artform that continues to captivate and inspire.

Those interested in learning more about quilting, or about the quilting group itself, are invited to speak with group founder Valerie Osborne at the show. In response to popular demand, there will be a opening program at 2:00 on Sunday, June 4.