Dexter's Piece-Makers Offer Vibrant Tour of Quilts

One hundred brightly colored quilts draped the pews at of Dexter this weekend as part of the Dexter Piece-Makers eighth annual show.

Each quilt bore a pattern different from the rest, from pinwheels, Hawaiian stars and grandma's flower garden to the Tree of Life and appliquéd rhododendrons. The quilts, either new heirlooms or antique treasures, were loaned for the display.

"They were made from the 1880s through last Tuesday," quipped Elaine Owsley, co-chairwoman of the quilt show along with Virginia Weber.

Nearly 200 people attended the event.

Owsley said that while all the quilts are unique, she enjoyed the story of a couple in particular.

"One is a quilt top made by an 80-year-old woman's grandmother. It was made out of feedsacks that (she) cut up for quilting," Owsley said.

Another quilt, made out of the scraps from 4-H projects, was made for Lori Lynn Luckhardt by her grandmother Martha Ernst Luckhardt. The double-size quilt was made from scraps from the dress Lori had made for 4-H in 1968.

Each year, the show's attendees vote for the quilt they like best. Last year, top honors went to a New York Beauty quilt owned by Julie Hakala, the only quilt to repeat this year. But the quilt voted best this year was the wildflower quilt shown by Sally Wines of Dexter, which will appear again at next year's quilt show on May 4, 2012.

Wines said she finds quilting very relaxing. She added that she enjoys quilting because she meets a lot of people.

Her daughter, Wendy Wines of Dexter, said she likes to come to the quilting shows because she wants to see her mother's handiwork.

"It was fun to watch her make (the quilt) and see the final project," she said.

Dorothy Doyle of Southgate and Shirley Reynolds of Trenton both said Sallhy Wines' quilt was their favorite at the show.

"I loved the colors and the workmanship," Doyle said. "It was beautiful."

Jean Evendich of Wyandotte said she admired the 80-year-old quilt made by Susan Muir of Dexter's grandmother, Inez Cherry.

"I like all antique quilts," she said.

Janet McCalla of Dexter likes coming to the show as well. "It's nice for people to show what they've done," she said, but she didn't know which quilt was her favorite.

"I can see where one is so different than the others. It has a very intricate pattern," she said of the Tree of Life pattern. "I've never seen so many quilts at one time."

Marilyn Deverell and her friend Barbara Myall of Jackson visited the quilt show.

"We belong to the Jackson Pieces and Patches Quilt Guild," Deverell said, adding that she likes to support quilt shows and get ideas by seeing what other quilters are doing.

"I enjoy the beauty," Myall said. "I like to get lots of ideas and enjoy everybody else's artistic ability.