The Quilt Show season in New England is more or less dictated by good traveling weather. The first small shows are set up around the end of April and the last one, in New Hampshire, occurs at the beginning of November. Quilt shows are always a fun time as quilters meet and greet, see what their fellow guild members have been working on all winter, enter quilt challenges, or show grandmother’s quilt.
One can usually readily determine which national teacher has visited a group during the previous fall. When “Stack ‘n Whack” quilts were popular, it was not unusual to see a half dozen or more of them, usually hanging side by side.
In recent years, everyone wants to be given credit: the quilter herself who in many cases is just the “piecer.” Then, there is the person who actually quilted the three layers together. That would be the machine quilter, or someone who hand quilts for hire. Of course, if the quilt was made from someone’s pattern, and is not an original design, it is only polite to mention the source: author/pattern originator and name of the book or quilt class. If one thanks everyone involved they would include quilt fabric designers, thread and sewing machine companies. It seems important to cover all bases, including, perhaps, the mother who birthed you!
Yes, things are increasingly complex and difficult, and made slightly more so by people who scream copyright violation, either on their own behalf, or someone whom they encounter. I have been thinking about how quilting has changed over the years. When there were quilting bees in centuries past, I wonder what their “issues” were, and what their “gossip” was. Of course, these kinds of things are not often recorded. In many instances, I wish I could be, or could have been, a fly on the wall! Quilts themselves don’t talk, but the stories they would tell, if they could!
You know, old habits die hard, and particularly when people learn that something is the right thing to do. They hang onto an idea forever. Take white gloves. Yes, take them! Every show has “white glove” ladies. Now, to “handle with white gloves” is an old concept, and one that denotes a certain amount of respect, and that is GOOD! However, some researchers suggest that white gloves are actually abrasive to the surface of quilts and should be avoided. Freshly washed hands will do, or, alternatively, nitrile gloves (my preference). I buy boxes of these at Sam’s Club (200 pairs at a time). They are lightweight, and go on and off easily.
Avoid latex gloves because they will not only impart a noxious odor to your hands, but latex is known to be medically-dangerous around people who are allergic. An allergic reaction can come on suddenly, even if the person has not experienced this problem in the past.
Please respect the work of quilters who enter shows. Do not touch their quilts, step on them (yes, I’ve seen this happen), or allow children to handle them. Many hours of work are represented by any quilt on display. I hope that you will attend many quilt shows this year. Remember not to take photos of items in vendor’s booths, and to respect the rights of quilters whose quilts have signs that say: “No photos allowed.” If you must take notes, remember to bring a mechanical pencil with you, lest someone jog your elbow and you get ink on someone’s quilted art.
Ah, yes, so many things to keep in mind! Most of all, enjoy the show!
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
