Rochester show stitches together quilters from around the region

Sunday, October 16, 2011

ROCHESTER— According to Maureen Smith, public relations director for the New England Quilt Museum, there are more quilters in this country that many would think.

"You can't spit in a grocery store without hitting a quilter," she said.

Smith was just one of many quilters present at the 30th annual Cocheco Quilters Guild Quilt Show at the Rochester Community Center Saturday, which gave area quilters a chance to show off their work and raised money for the New England Quilt Museum as well as the Cocheco Valley Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity.

The attendance of the show supported Smith's idea that there are many quilters in the area.

According to Quilt Show Chair Diane Mihelich, who joined the guild only four years ago after retiring and deciding she needed a hobby, the two-day show typically draws over 3,000 people.

Jacque Thompson, another member of the guild, said by noon on Saturday, only two hours after opening, nearly 1,500 people had already come through the doors, a number she said far exceeds past years.

Mihelich said she attributes this increased attendance to increased publicity for the show this year, saying the guild displayed a quilt they are raffling off at the show this weekend at Apple Harvest Day and at other events in the area.

Like attendance rates, the amount of tickets sold for the raffle quilt also went up this year, Mihelich said, with almost 4,000 tickets sold by the start of the quilt show Saturday.

"It's really over the top," Thompson said.

The quilt raffled off was designed and created by seven members of the guild, who worked on the piece since summer of 2010.

"It has a wow factor to it," said Mihelich, who was one of the guild members who worked on the quilt. "It's a really stunning quilt."

With this increase in ticket sales comes an increase in the amount of money given to the organization benefiting from the quilt show.

According to Mihelich, about $1,000 was given to each organization, an amount she hopes to exceed this year.

Smith said this money is very important to the success of the New England Quilt Museum, a nonprofit that often struggles to raise enough money each year.

"It's the only quilt museum in the eastern U.S.," Smith said. "Cocheco Quilters Guild is one of the biggest supporters of the museum."

Still, the event is not only about raising money, it is also a chance for members of the guild to socialize and view the work others have done.

And to Smith, the event is a great opportunity to let others in the community see quilting as an art form and see just how popular an activity it is.

"It's really an American art form," Smith said of quilting, while walking around the show filled with over 200 quilts on display. "It's really special that it exists in the first place."

Smith said that handmade quilts, like the ones displayed at the show Saturday, are especially artistic and at times, underappreciated.

"Quilts are like snowflakes — no two are alike," she said. "Hundreds of hours of work go into these quilts ... all of these quilts were made with love, if someone owns a handmade quilt they should treasure it."

Smith said the show can also help attract more members to the guild, saying it's a great resource for beginners interested in quilting and for anyone new to the area.

"I've made some of the best friends of my life here," she said.

John Huff/Staff photographer  Longtime Cocheco Quilters Guild member Louise Fund holds a 12 Days of Christmas themed quilt that won her Best In Show in 1985 during the guild's annual Quilt Show held this weekend at the Rochester Community Center.

John Huff/Staff photographer Quilters get to see many fine quilt works during the Cocheco Quilters Guild's annual Quilt Show held this weekend at the Rochester Community Center.