WEYBURN – With over 220 quilted items on display, there were over 400 ballots cast by visitors for their favourite quilts at the Crocus Quilters Guild’s quilt show on Friday and Saturday at the Weyburn Curling Rink.
Organizer Jill Thorn said they were really happy to have so many entries in the quilt show, even requiring them to find more exhibition spaces to display them all.
They were especially happy as this was their first quilt show since 2018, and in that show, they had 160 entries.
Thorn noted that the Crocus Quilters had meetings and demos on Zoom during COVID, and this actually helped to expand their numbers, as quilters from Moose Jaw, Regina and elsewhere became members so they could take part in the Zoom meetings.
This was true for the winner of the people’s choice vote, as Shirley Mathieson’s quilt, “Eye Spy for the ‘bigs’”, was far and away the favourite choice of viewers, receiving 84 of the votes.
Mathieson is from Moose Jaw, and she loved that the Crocus Quilters were staying active by Zoom.
“What a great way to meet people,” she said, adding she knew some of the members of the Weyburn guild.
Her quilt measures 83 by 80 inches, and features three jackpine trees with many features hidden in the background, including tree branches, animals, and her grandchildren’s names in the rays from the sun in the upper right corner.
She had the idea for this quilt from the “Eye Spy” quilts her children and grandchildren had.
The outdoor themes were inspired by her family’s cabin on Candle Lake, and the bedrooms in the cabin have theme names.
Mathieson has quilted for about 20 years, she said, noting, “It’s something I always wanted to do. My grandmother quilted and I loved her quilts.”
The quilt show had two featured quilters, Eva Ziehl and Eileen Wright, who both had several of their quilts on display. In addition, there were vendors and demonstrations put on Friday evening and throughout Saturday.
