Life

Harvest of Quilts yields color, creativity at BRCC

Kitty Etterman, with her award-winning Christmas in the Mountains.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 20, 2012

Quilts of many shapes and sizes, some modern, some old-fashioned, are hanging in the Conference Hall of Blue Ridge Community College through Sunday.

The Harvest of Quilts, sponsored by the Western North Carolina Quilters Guild, features 166 quilts entered for exhibit and for judging, the Alzheimer's Quilt collection, Japanese quilts, displays of past quilt show winners, a raffle quilt and vendors selling quilt supplies.
With names like Colorburst, Spring Bouquet, Christmas in the Mountains, Vernal Equinox, Oaks from Acorns and Bear's Paw Retreat, the quilts evoke seasons, nature, memories and home.
Jane Hall, a nationally recognized quilter and quilting teacher from Raleigh, selected winners in categories of Off the Wall, Traditional (pieced and quilted by maker, and commissioned quilting, Contemporary (appliqued and pieced), Art and Innovative and quilts made by youth.

Kitter Etterman, whose "Christmas in the Mountains" won the top award for best hand workmanship, is a 35-year quilter who extolls the value of Quilt Guild support and camaraderie.

"I to traditional handwork," she said. "I took a class for making cabbage-patch dolls and then I started going to quilting workshops, and I joined Hendersonville and Asheville guilds. You really do need to join a guild" to see and learn.
Quilt show chairs Kathleen Lambert and Kay Thomas and volunteer coordinators Hardy Chandler and Natalie Rockley and many other workers (including "especially our guys" in pickup trucks who hauled and assembled the quilts stands) organized the show. Hostesses wearing aprons are on hand to answer questions and help guide visitors.
Visitors can see techniques called cathedral window, wholecloth, crazy quilt, redwork and thread painting.
"We want people to see quilts and learn about quilts and get excited about quilts," Lambert said.

The Western North Carolina Quilters Guild will begin planning next spring to host the North Carolina Quilt Symposium in May 2015 at Bonclarken.
The Harvest of Quilts continues 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.