A quilt show returns to Cedar Rapids after having to take a hiatus during the pandemic next month.
The East Iowa Heirloom Quilters (EIHQ) will hold its free Quilts for all Seasons show July 21 and 22 at the Prairie High School gym, 401 76th Ave., Southwest in Cedar Rapids. The show will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday.
Nan Fowler, publicity director for the quilters group said more than 400 quilts will be on display that weekend.
We have 265 members from the Cedar Rapids, Marion and surrounding areas that have made quilts for this show,” she said.
The last quilt show held by EIHQ was in 2019, Fowler said. The shows were held every other year but the group didn’t have a show in 2021 because of the pandemic.
Among this year’s quilters is nationally known quilt teacher and pattern designer Scott Flanagan. Flannagan will show some of his quilt designs and will have patterns available to purchase.
“I have two strong quilting philosophies: First, a quilt is only hard if you have been told it is hard beforehand. And second, you learn some of the best lessons from the mistakes made along the quilting journey. With those two thoughts I strive to write patterns that no matter how hard they look a confident beginner with sewing experience could handle,” Flanagan said.
Featured quilter this year is Jodi Shelledy, who will display her collection, tell stories, and answer questions.
“I love all the processes of quilt making. I especially like to quilt with my friends on our sisterhood retreats two or three times a year. We also get together once a month to sew weighted blankets, which we give to local organizations who can use them for their clients. So, camaraderie is the best part of quilt making,” Shelledy said.
Other exhibits that weekend include “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” the Red Thread COVID commemoration quilt and Quilts of Valor. Members of the Eastern Iowa Heirloom Quilters made all of these quilts.
A quilt designed by member Megan Bracy from butterfly fabric will be raffled.
Fowler said she is happy the show is returning.
“I have my own quilting business,” Fowler said. “I have a long arm quilting machine that I use. It will be nice to be around other quilters to see what they have done.”
Fowler learned quilting as a child from her mom, but she didn’t get the quilting bug until she lived in Pennsylvania. She moved to the Cedar Rapids area in 1996 and learned about the eastern Iowa group.
“The quilting guild formed in the 1980s,” she said. “The quilt show started in the early ’90s. We’ve been doing it every other year since then except for during the pandemic.”
Fowler has seen quilting grow in popularity since the 1990s.
“Some people like to make hand made quilts,” she said. “Some like to bind quilts. Others like to use a long-arm quilting machine like I do, or there are people who make quilts on a regular sewing machine.”
Using a sewing machine to make a quilt takes a long time, but hand made quilts are the most time consuming, Fowler said.
T-shirt quilts are gaining popularity.
“They are a project of their own because the T-shirts have fabric that stretches,” Fowler added.
Another quilt Fowler sees people working on is called English paper piecing. These pieces are cut out and glued together on to a piece of cardboard, Fowler said. More pieces are added to make a pattern. Once the pattern is done the pieces are put together and the cardboard is removed.
Eastern Iowa Heirloom Quilters group welcomes newcomers.
“We are always looking for younger members to join the guild,” Fowler said.
Typically, the younger members don’t have kids and can dedicate time to quilting, she added. The guild is also seeing older adults whose children are grown.
Money raised from the show will go towards Eastern Iowa quilters members making quilts to donate to local organization and non-profits such as the Iowa Donor Network.
Quilt classes are also provided to the community. A monthly schedule is available on the website at www.eihqguild.com.
