NL_091516

newlenoxpatriot.com life & arts
the New Lenox Patriot | September 15, 2016 | 23
Heritage Quilters Guild to display quilts at show
Showcase to take
place at Liberty Jr.
High Sept. 17-18
Max Lapthorne
Contributing Editor
It rubs Sue Barnhill the
wrong way when people simply
refer to quilting as a craft,
because she thinks of it as
more of an art.
Barnhill and the other approximately
90 members of
the Heritage Quilters Guild
are to have their works of
art on display Sept. 17-18 at
the guild’s “Harvest of Quilts
Show.” The guild, which is
based in Lockport, hosts a
show once every two years,
but this year has a special
meaning as it is the 35th anniversary
of the guild’s inception,
said Barnhill, co-chairwoman
of the quilt show.
“It’s the biggest show
we’ve ever had,” she said.
“We’re excited.”
The Heritage Quilters
Guild meets at the Lockport
VFW on the second Tuesday
of every month between September
and May for social
quilting. The guild only puts
on the “Harvest of Quilts”
show once every two years
because of all the preparation
that goes into planning the
event and creating the quilts.
“We women work all
year long on making quilts,”
Barnhill said. “Some quilts
take women months to do the
hand work.”
At this year’s show, there
are to be more than 350 quilts
on display in addition to a variety
of other attractions such
as a quilt book sale, a silent
auction, raffles and free sewing
paraphenalia handouts.
There is also to be a woman at
the show giving quilt appraisals
to attendees, which could
save them hundreds of dollars
when it comes to home
insurance, Barnhill said. She
had a quilt appraised recently
and found out it was worth
$1,200 because of the fabric
it was made from, and if
something would have happened
to the quilt without it
being appraised, she would
have received almost nothing
from insurance.
“If people have quilts, they
really should have them appraised
because it’s really to
their benefit,” she said.
Another treat for this
year’s attendees is a display
of 28 award-winning quilts
from the Pilgrim/Roy Collection
that is to be available for
people to see.
Barnhill hopes the show
gives herself and her fellow
guild members an opportunity
to show the community
what they’re capable of creating
while also helping to
fund the organization. Funds
raised are to go toward paying
for classes for the guild so
the members can continue to
grow and improve their skills.
“Quilting is mental therapy
because you can just get lost
in the creativity and the calm
it gives you,” Barnhill said.
“And when you’re done you
have something beautiful you
can give to your family.”
The Heritage Quilters Guild
has grown substantially since
its early days several decades
ago, and Barnhill now sees it
as a big part of her life.
“It started with a small
group of a dozen women and
it’s my hobby — it’s my extracurricular,”
she said.
Barnhill has been a part
of the guild for 22 years so
she has been to a number of
shows, and her favorite part is
watching attendees when they
first come through the door.
“[I enjoy] watching people’s
reactions when they
come in, especially if they
haven’t been before,” she
said.
When most people arrive
at the show for the first time,
they immediately want to
touch all the quilts they see
hanging and displayed everywhere,
Barnhill said. To facilitate
that, the guild provides
plastic gloves to attendees so
they can freely touch all the
quilts. While some quilters
don’t like their quilts being
handled too much, Barnhill
likes for her quilts to be used.
“A quilt isn’t really a quilt
unless it’s been slept under,”
she said. “I don’t make quilts
that hang on walls.”
The quilt that is to be raffled off at the Sept. 17 “Harvest of
Quilts” show. Photo submitted
In the coming months,
Barnhill is moving to Wisconsin,
but she plans on
maintaining her membership
in the Heritage Quilters Guild
and making the 5 ½ hour trip
288410_5.5_x_5.indd 1
frequently to attend meetings
and shows.
“We’ve really got it all in
there, and we’ve got such a
talented group of women,”
she said. “It’s just a very
nice, friendly, giving group.”
The show is to take place
at Liberty Jr. High, 151
Lenox St., New Lenox from
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 17 and
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 18.
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9/8/16 9:09 AM