Sycamore Stitchers prepare for annual quilt show Oct. 7-9

Published 1:59 pm Friday, September 30, 2022

The last stitch has been made, and the quilt has been neatly folded and put away, awaiting the annual Sycamore Stitchers Quilt Show from Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9, at Sycamore Shoals State Park. Doors will open on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show on Sunday will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The three-day exhibition features a show and demonstration by local quilters. Bed quilts, wall hangings, holiday and baby quilts, miniature and antique quilts will be on display. The quilts represent hours of piecing and stitching by the owner.

Carolyn Buckles, who is a charter member of the Sycamore Stitchers, which has been meeting for 27 or 28 years, said the group meets at the park the second Thursday of each month to share their love of quilting and engage in a wide variety of projects. Each year they host the Sycamore Stitchers Quilt Show, which focuses on historic and modern quilting techniques and patterns.

“During COVID, we didn’t get to meet or have our quilt show, but we are glad to be back this year,” said Buckles. “We will encourage the wearing of masks, and gloves will be provided so visitors can touch and examine the quilts,” she said.

This year’s show represent hours spent by members designing, piecing, and quilting entries. “There is always something new and exciting at each show,” Buckles said.

Categories of quilts displayed will include hand-quilted bed quilts, machine-quilted bed quilts, baby/crib quilts, long-arm-quilted bed quilts, juvenile/lap quilts, small/miniature wall-hangings, large wall hangings, the Sycamore Stitchers Challenge and antique quilts. Antique quilts will be displayed on a bed and turned frequently for viewing.

The exhibit will showcase talent that will be judged only by the spectators. The winners will be given a People’s Choice Award.

Buckles said all the quilts on display will be the work of Sycamore Stitchers.

Buckles said the group has 30 to 40 members, and one of the things she likes about the quilting group is the camaraderie shared. “My favorite thing about quilting is picking and choosing the fabric for the quilt, not actually the quilting, itself,” she shared.

She had made a number of quilts through the years, many of which she has given away.

“Quilting is habit-forming. It’s like a good book. When you get into it, it’s hard to lay it down,” she said.

Buckles said she is hoping for a good attendance at this year’s show, since they’ve not been able to have it the last couple of years.