Visit Bucks County hosts its 13th annual Bucks County Quilt Show through August 30
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Quilts are more than something warm and comforting…they’re an art form. While some take a few hours to complete and consist of fun designs and colors, other take months and hold memories within their patchwork. To celebrate the creativity of local quilters, Visit Bucks County is hosting its 13th annual Bucks County Quilt Show through Aug. 30 at the Bucks County Visitor Center.
The exhibit, which is on display in the Main Gallery and visible seconds after entering the building, features more than 100 quilted pieces hanging from 25-foot high beams. There is also a new shadowbox display highlighting the quilting process and an interactive quilt frame display for visitors to try their hand at it.
Though quilting has been somewhat lost in recent generations, one group in Bucks County is making sure it stays alive and well in the community. Several years ago, a popular shop on Street Road called The Quilting Circle suddenly closed, stripping local quilters of a community atmosphere in which they could create their pieces.
Some of the regulars banded together, and in one short month opened The Quilt Academy in May 2011, which has successfully served the quilting community at its 3671 Hulmeville Road location in Bensalem ever since.
According to cofounder Linda Weingard, the shop was opened with the intention of teaching classes to those who wished to learn the art of quilting. But they quickly saw a demand for more, and began selling fabrics and supplies. They also invested in a long-arm quilting machine — a massive 14-foot table with handles that hold the quilt — to keep in the shop for guests to use.
As one of the few quilting shops left in Bucks County, Weingard and the rest of The Quilt Academy staff are constantly brainstorming inventive ways to keep clients coming back week after week. At events like the Friday Night Sewcial, quilters learn new techniques from each other and create their own masterpieces. Six weekly classes are held at the shop, as well as occasional speciality classes such as how to create dimensional patterns.
Attendees range from experienced quilters who have been doing it for 20 years to newcomers looking for guidance on how to get started. Weingard had the pleasure of assisting a first-timer who wanted to create a t-shirt quilt out of her late husband’s clothing, but had no idea where to begin. The staff was able to see her through the successful completion of her first quilt, and she is working on her third.
Almost 100 of the quilts on display at the Bucks County Quilt Show were created during classes at The Quilt Academy. Though some students were hesitant to have their work showcased for all to see, Weingard reminded them it’s not a juried show, just a fun, free exhibit for the local community.
“You made it; it’s beautiful,” she told them.
Many end up embracing the opportunity to show off their hard work, and family and friends travel long distances to see the creations in person.
From “My First Quilt” by Lorraine Troutman in memory of her father, to the enchanting “Our Magical Memories” piece by Peggy Warner made from Disney t-shirts and pictures capturing her family’s vacations, many quilts on display evoke emotion.
These are Weingard’s favorite kind to make, and the best joy for her is making a quilt for a loved one. Her proudest moment was presenting her mother with a handmade quilt covered with pictures of their family. Mother and daughter were able to reflect on the memories, which would be preserved on the quilt for generations to come.
Each year at the exhibit, The Quilt Academy hosts a raffle to raise money for a deserving cause in Bucks County. This year, proceeds will benefit A Woman’s Place, the only domestic violence organization in Bucks County. In previous years, funds were donated to the Red Cross as well as an organization that made tiny quilts to honor miscarried babies.
Though it’s not a dying art, Weingard sees quilting eventually becoming a thing of the past. All around her, she sees quilt shops closing, cotton costs rising and attendance decreasing at quilt shows. Most of the people in her classes are 40–70 years old, and though they are passionate about their hobby, she sees it dying out unless they introduce their children and grandchildren to it.
“We’re trying to keep the movement going,” she said.
The Bucks County Quilt Show is free and open to the public until Aug. 30, Monday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $2 each or three tickets for $5 at the Bucks County Visitor Center located at 3207 Street Road in Bensalem. Guests can share photos of their favorite quilts on Instagram with the hashtag #BucksCountyMoment. For more information on the exhibit, visit visitbuckscounty.com. To learn more about The Quilt Academy, visit www.thequiltacademy.net.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com.
