Quilt Show Continues to Grow

More than 170 quilts were displayed in the Countryside Flower Shop's annual quilt show Sept. 18 and 19.

The event transformed the shop's greenhouse into a colorful display of handmade quilts that attracted a large crowd of admirers who enjoyed the history, craftsmanship and variety of the area's finest quilt-makers.

This is the 11th year the flower shop has hosted the show.

Mary Cronin, who organizes the quilt shows for Countryside, said the show has grown in popularity every year.

"The first couple of years there were maybe 10 or 20 quilts," she said. "But it's grown each year. It's my favorite event here."

Cronin said she thinks it's popular because there is no admission fee, no pressure to buy anything and anyone can participate in the show.

"It's come one, come all," she said. "It's a nice way to start off fall."

Dolores "Dee" Berry has been participating in the exhibit for three years. One of her displays included a block quilt featuring Illinois wildflowers.

A typical large quilt might take Dee eight months to complete working two to three hours a day. All are hand-stitched, meaning no sewing machines, and made of cotton.

Berry's interest in quilting started when she took a quilting class in the 1980s and she's been quilting ever since.

Another quilter, Judy Yates, came to the exhibition for the first time to see sister, Cathy Banker's, work.

Yates admitted that she was bitten by the quilting bug eight years ago due to her sister's interest and hasn't stopped since.

"I use every one of them, they are all over my house–on the walls, on quilt racks–I cannot bring myself to sell them," she said.

While some quilts were for sale, most were on display for viewing only.

The McHenry County Historical Society has had a constant presence over the years showcasing one quilt annually made by members for the specific purpose of raffling it off.

"It's the largest fundraiser we have," historical society member Alice Nulle said.

Each year, the historical society dedicates a quilt to an individual who has contributed to the community in some way and enters it in the raffle.

About a third of the quilts displayed are historical contributions by organizations or individuals, some going back to the 1800s. The older works might have traveled in covered wagons with settlers, passed down from generation to generation and shared with the public in 2010 in the flower shop's quilt show.

The remainder of the quilts included those made by area quilters with a passion for the craft or those who wish to exhibit family heirlooms.