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'Best Little Quilt Show' brings Texas spotlight to area |
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By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas |
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March 7, 2002 -- Recently, the "Best Little Quilt Show in Texas" was held in ... where else ... La Grange. While La Grange may be famous for other things in the past, this quilt show may be the only one in the country, and for sure, in Texas, that features only miniature quilts at the show. Sponsored by the Colorado Valley Quilt Guild, the show has grown to include crib quilts, wearable vests and coats, and house decorations such as table runners and wall hangings. Kristi Grigsby, owner of the Quilter's Cottage in La Grange, said quilting is not just a retiree hobby, anymore, and more and more people ... mostly women ... are becoming interesting in the age old craft. "There's not as many older people that come in here. There are a few, but, mostly, it's ladies between 40 and 60," she said. "I've been quilting since I was about 12-years-old. My mother taught me and the Girl Scouts. In Girl Scouts, there's a badge that you can create on your own, and we created a quilting badge. Each girl did a quilt block which we made into a quilt. We voted to give the quilt to our leader, because she was leaving the next year," said Grigsby. A member of the Colorado Valley Quilt Guild, Grigsby said that many people have the idea that all these groups do is get together and quilt. Not so. "A guild is a group of women with a common interest in quilting. It is not where you go sit and quilt. A guild is community service oriented. We (Colorado Valley) do quilts for the crisis center in Bastrop, because that serves our county, too. We do all the bears that go in the police cars in La Grange and the sheriff's cars and in several other communities where club members live, along with hosting a quilt show every February," she said. The Colorado Valley Quilt Guild has a membership of between 80-85, and members come from Fayette, Lee, Bastrop and Colorado counties, along with visitors from as far away as the Dallas area. The recent show had 135 entries from all over Texas, including Bryan, San Marcos, Bastrop, Weimar, Kingswood, Humble, Whitney, Georgetown, Fredericksburg, College Station, Fayetteville and Dallas areas. Grigsby credits her mother, Jackie Asbill, with organizing the first "Little Quilt" show in the area. Originally a fund-raiser for the local hospital auxiliary, it became the Guild's project, two years ago, when there was no one to make the arrangements in the auxiliary. "It started out as the "Best Little Quilt Show" because when my mother started it, it was all miniatures and that was her pattern company. The first show was all miniature quilts, so that's why it was named that," said Grigsby. Many of the quilters have discovered "The Quilter's Travel Companion," a book which lists all stores in the country. If a quilter is traveling, they can look and see if there is a quilt store in the area, explained Grigsby. Many of her customers are traveling from Houston to Austin, and many are "Snow Birds" coming down from the northern states headed for South Texas for the winter months. While some states have special rules for quilt guilds, those in Texas operate independently and develop their own structure, rather than be a branch off a state association. At the "Best Little Quilt Show in Texas," visitors, vendors, sponsors and everyone walked among the entries, comparing and sharing patterns, techniques, advise and information. Winners were divided into wearable arts, home decor, two-person quilts, first quilts, baby quilts and artisan works. Some were machine quilted and some were from professional quilters. Patterns were as varied as the visitors to the exhibit. "There are millions of them (patterns)," said Grigsby. "I think a lot of people like the traditional ones, like the "Double Wedding Ring," or "Grandmother's Flower Garden," and "Nine Patches" is very popular because it is very easy." She said that the patterns that are at least 50-years-old usually have no original, paper pattern. Years ago, the quilters just cut them out and started quilting. "What's coming out, now, as far as books and patterns, are new designers designing books and quilts and not going back and repeating old things," said Grigsby. Quilting is something you do because you love it, she added, and the best part of it is having a dream and accomplishing it. "The creative part of it is what I like. You can do whatever you want. There are no rules in quilting, so you can take a design and make it your own, based on the fabric and colors you use. You can be as creative as you want to. I like working with my hands. The satisfaction of having an idea in your head, and working through the idea and then having it (project) come out the way you pictured it is great!" she said. |
