Hillsborough Quilter To Be Featured At National Quilt Competition

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — For someone who used to hate sewing by hand, Hillsborough local Crystal L. Cochren is now a lover of quilting and was recently selected for judging in this year's Quilt Competition at the 2019 Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza (PNQE).

Cochren took a quilting class in 2004 at her church, she sewed one quilt topper and realized she "hated sewing." Then in August 2016 Cochren’s husband bought her a sewing machine and from there her love for quilting took off.

"It really opened up a lot of opportunities for me," Cochren said of the sewing machine.

Cochren started making quilts, garments, accessories and selling them on her website interwovencreationsbycrystal.com.

In 2017 Cochren went to National Quilt Extravaganza in New Jersey and then learned about the Pennsylvania show in 2018. She decided next year she was going to apply.

To qualify the PNQE asked submitters to talk about how their quilt speaks to them and explain what it is trying to say.

Cochren knew she had an edge with her "Love" quilt.

"My quilt says 'love' in Morse code," Cochren said. "My quilt is actually saying something."

Cochren got the call that she was selected and is excited. Her "Love" quilt will be displayed at the show that runs from Thursday, Sept. 12 to Sunday, Sept. 15 along with other entries from across the U.S. at the Great Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

"Quilts are sometimes folk art, sometimes very classic, and at other times modern – but all are truly works of art. The PNQE Competition incorporates pieces from the best quilters in the country to be judged, and enjoyed by spectators and other quilt artists," Mancuso Show Management President, David Mancuso said.

Along with the quilt competition, PNQE will feature workshops and lectures taught by world-renowned faculty and a Merchants Mall.

For more information about the show visit www.quiltfest.com.

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