Quilts galore this weekend

Judy Potter stands in front of her President’s Quilt made and given to her by guild members for her second term as president. Submitted Photo

If you like quilts, Crescent City is definitely where you’ll want to be this weekend.

While the Lighthouse Quilt Guild will hold Quilt Fest ’09 in the main building at the county fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday, other quilt enthusiasts have organized a “citywide” quilt show at various locales that can be reached by shuttle buses.

Quilt Fest ’09

The Lighthouse Quilt Guild is preparing for Quilt Fest ’09: Oh My Stars. More than 125 entries have been received, including quilts of all sizes, clothing and home wares.

It will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is a $3 donation, and parking is free.

Visitors can design their own quilt blocks, which will be sewn together by guild members and added to others to make quilts for wounded soldiers. Over 150 such quilts have already been shipped. There’s also the chance to win a prize in the “Lighthouse Game.”

Visitors can also vote for their favorite quilt in each category on Saturday. For the fourth year, Grace Anderson of Grants Pass will judge the entries.

The show will include a special display of the work of featured quilter Judy Potter, president of the guild.

A display of antique quilts can be enjoyed, and one will be sold in a silent auction. Two quilts will be raffled off Sunday at 3 p.m. to support the guild’s scholarship project.

Citywide quilt show

Volunteers led by Donna Westfall have been hanging quilts around town for the first citywide quilt show Saturday and Sunday.

The event runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Call 707-464-6019 for more information.

They have created a Web site, www.crescentcityquiltshow.com ,  where people can see which quilts are for sale and where to buy tickets. 

The volunteers will be hanging quilts Thursday at Elk Valley Casino in the Bingo Room.

“Our goal is to have people ride the buses around town from quilt venue to quilt venue in an effort to promote business,” said Westfall.

The cost is $10 for one day or $15 for both days, and covers bus fare and admission to the guild’s Quilt Fest ’09 at the fairgrounds. Those not buying tickets to the citywide show will pay regular fare on the bus.

Redwood Coast Transit does not usually operate on Sunday, but has made special arrangements to provide service to accommodate the show, Westfall said.

She said the bus will run from the fairgrounds guild show, to downtown, to the Del Norte County Historical Society Museum (which will display vintage and antique quilts), to the harbor (she said there’s a “wonderful quilt” at Crescent Harbor Art Gallery and small wall hangings in the harbormaster’s office window Fisherman’s Restaurant and the Super 8 motel), to Elk Valley Casino.

“We’ve had good comments from passersby at the old Daley’s Building  on 3rd & J Streets,” Westfall said. “People wanted to buy the dog quilt, but that particular quilt is not for sale while others are.”

Featured quilter Judy Potter

The featured quilter at Lighthouse Quilt Guild’s Quilt Fest ’09 at the fairgrounds will be Judy Potter, who taught for 36 years in the Del Norte County Unified School District.

Sewing clothes for herself and her three children led to the making of simple quilts for family members. This evolved into the making of pillows and quilt blocks in her classroom, which Potter sewed into quilts starting in 1981. Students earned points to see who would take home one of the two quilts the last day of school.

Later Potter started making retirement quilts for teachers.

Sewing garments evolved into making wedding dresses, one for the daughter of a longtime friend and one for her only daughter. She is making the wedding dress of her future daughter-in-law, who will marry her youngest son next June.

Upon retirement, Potter visited the Lighthouse Quilt Guild and soon joined up. Quilting has become her obsession. Bright colors and batiks grace many of her quilts. Hand piecing, making miniatures and hand-quilting are among her favorite methods.

Potter has served one year as vice-president of the guild and is currently serving her third consecutive year as president.