Quilters piece together show

From left, Catherine Lewis, Anne French, and Mary Clark look over the raffle quilt for the Kaleidoscope of Quilts show. Quilters piece together beautiful biennial show

Quilting is a great conversation starter, says Catherine Lewis, publicity chairman for the Glass City Quilt Commission.

“I take my daughter to basketball camp every day,” the Oak Harbor woman says, “and I take a [quilt] project along to work on while I'm waiting because it's too far to go home, then come back. People will come up with questions: `What are you working on?' `How do you do that?' `How long does it take?'”

Many of those questions can be answered this weekend at Kaleidoscope of Quilts XI in the Franciscan Center of Lourdes College in Sylvania. The commission's biennial quilt show is expected to attract quilters, quilt enthusiasts, art lovers, and the just plain curious from all over the region. It has attracted quilts from as far away as New York, Kansas, Florida, and Missouri for its competition.

The judged portion of the show will have more than 245 pieces in it: full-sized bed quilts, wall-hangings, quilted art, historical quilts, and garments.

“One of our big highlights is the fashion show with models wearing quilted garments,” Lewis says. “It's at noon Saturday, and it's usually standing room only.”

Also expected to be popular are entrants in the Legacy in Stitches category, which features quilted work started many years ago and completed recently by someone else.

“Aunt Matilda may have left you 29 quilted Flower Garden blocks, and you finish them into a quilt,” Lewis explains. It's a way to show the continuing connection between generations.

If entrants' interest is any indication, the show is already a success.

“Normally our entry deadline comes and goes and we still have room for quilts. This year we had to turn people away,” Lewis says.

The show, which is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday, also features an extensive merchants mall offering everything from complete and easy kits for the most novice of wannabe quilters to the very latest gadgets to pique the interest of the most avid artist, according to Schultz.

Another popular feature of the Kaleidoscope shows is the raffle quilt. This year's was designed by Jeanne Turner, a member of the commission who died of breast cancer. Proceeds will go to Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

Although the show opens to the public tomorrow, workshops are being conducted today by noted quilters Sherry Reis of Worthington, Ohio; Emily Senuta of Overland Park, Kan., and Gabrielle Swain of Watuga, Texas.

Workshops continue tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m. Information on workshop topics, fees, and material lists is available from 419-843-1068.

On Sunday, Reis will speak on “The Pieceful Challenge” at 10:30 a.m. In a lecture at 1 p.m., Senuta will explore the process of naming quilts. Both talks are free.

Kaleidoscope of Quilts XI runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday in the Franciscan Center of Lourdes College, 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 5-12.