Mission Mountain Quilt Guild holds 36th annual show
Laurie Schmitt, one of two featured quilters at the Mission Mountain Quilt Guild quilt show, talks about a quilt she made. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
Evelyn Kelch is surrounded by quilted items she made and loves. Kelch was one of two featured quilters at the Mission Mountain Quilt Guild's 30th Annual Quilt Show. The show was held in conjunction with the Chainsaw Carver's Rendezvous in Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
The Ronan High School gym was awash with color June 10-11 for the Mission Mountain Quilt Guild’s 36th annual Quilt Show.
Quilt show chair Sandy Taylor said there were 136 entries, with the highest number in the lap-quilt category.
This is Taylor’s first year as chair of the event, and she said it was challenging. But she’s going to take on the role again next year. Not only has she been busy with the other guild members organizing the show, but she has four quilts in the show and one bag.
Taylor began quilting seven years ago when she moved here from Texas and had never quilted before.
Two quilters, Evelyn Kelch and Laurie Schmitt, were featured quilters at the show., meaning these women are excellent quilters, Taylor said. They brought some of their favorite quilts and quilted objects to display and were on hand to visit with friends and guests.
Kelch surrounded herself with beautiful quilts and vibrant sunflowers.
“These are all my favorites,” Kelch said, motioning to the semi-circle of quilts, wall hangings, and other quilted objects. “I’ve got a whole notebook full of things I’ve made and given away, but these are the things I’ve kept for myself.”
A wilderness quilt that she just finished might be Schmitt’s favorite, the artist said. She collected panels of animals found in the Northwest from Jody Bergsma’s art and added trees to the border with a big helping of blue sky. Even the quilting stitches were shaped like bears, mountain goats, deer, elk, and other animals.
Guild members made a patriotic quilt, “We the People,” for a raffle quilt, with $1 giving a buyer a chance to win the red, white and blue beauty. They also had a big basket of fat quarters if folks wanted a chance to win that instead of the quilt.
Since the quilt show is held in conjunction with the 2023 Chainsaw Carving Rendezvous, the quilters also whipped up a quilt for the Sunday auction, with proceeds supporting the guild's two missions: giving quilts to victims of residential fires in Polson, Ronan and St. Ignatius; and promoting interest and knowledge of quilting through classes for both members and nonmembers.
