Camp Sherman hosts quilt show

Quilt enthusiasts braved the crystalline cold of Camp Sherman to visit the 10th annual Camp Sherman Pine Needlers winter quilt show last Sunday, February 19, in the Community Hall.

Old and new quilts decorated the large hall during the show. The quilts were hung from rafters, attached to walls, draped over furniture. Write-ups with each quilt revealed the background story of its origin.

Jean Curl’s “Sunshine” quilt, started in 1933 and recently finished, had the explanation, “I can’t take credit for the finished product — only the sunflowers. My good friend Susan Shaull offered to put it together with her beautiful stitching and patterns. So, after 70 years, I have my sunflower quilt and a family heirloom. Thank you Susan.”

Carol Neil’s “Princess Feather” quilt was the oldest in the show, dating back to the 1870s.

“I purchased it from a dealer and he estimated it was done between 1870 and 1880,” the description card stated.

Another old quilt, “Embroidered Animals,” presented by Liz Weeks, dated back to the 1920s.

A large quilt displayed by Carol Vogeltanz was titled “The Bankruptcy Quilt.” Vogeltanz explained, “A company owing our farm a large sum of money filed bankruptcy and this forced us to tighten our belts. I could not buy any new fabrics so I had to use what I already collected (which is a good thing).”

Craft materials also were displayed in the hall’s loft area, arranged by Kim Addison. Once again colorful potholders made by the Pine Needlers were on sale as a token of remembrance for the event. Some of the more popular ones had “Camp Sherman” appliquéd on them.

The Pine Nuts men’s group served food at the event. Warm soups, salad, rolls, desserts and beverages were available throughout the day. A new kitchen stove had been installed just days before the event.

Local musician Doug Phillips quietly filled the hall with guitar music later in the day.

Many visitors were seen smiling at Sally Brown’s “Happy Quilt.” She commented, “This quilt makes me smile when I look at it.” Kathy Blann’s “Modern Mystery” quilt brought back memories of the Pine Needlers’ founder and master quilter, Andrea Balosky.

“This is from a class I took from her in visual thinking,” she wrote. “It was my first time working with batiks. I love the way it came out. I just don’t know why it took me five years to complete.”

Balosky is currently visiting Southeast Asia. Her quilt, “A Tribute to Marian,” will be raffled off this summer in support of breast cancer research.