| Story and photos by Patty Cain
In recognition of the National Quilting Associations 22nd National Quilting Day (NQA), quilting enthusiast and quilting newbee's attended a local "National Quilting Day" at the Five Forks Church Community Building.
"If My Quilt Could Talk" the theme for the Calhoun County quilting day was attended by many people of the community. Those attending were treated to demonstrations, discussions, trunk shows and door prizes. A day filled with quilting variety to include any and all types of quilters.
Martha Harris, who coordinated the observance, started the morning with an overview and discussion of the National Quilting Day observance, along with a completed wall hanging from the NQA, entitled, "Tie One on for the Troops" that she had completed for her nephew who served in Afghanistan during 2010. Martha next demonstrated the making of a wall hanging using the method of foundation piecing, a technique where the pattern is printed on thin web material and then fabric is sewn onto this material in a sequential/numerical order.
Patty Cain demonstrated the art of hand piecing a Grandmother's Flower Garden. Patty discussed the use of templates and showed her favorite technique, rubber stamping. This technique requires a rubber stamp and acid free ink be used on the material that is then cut out and sewn together. Patty also discussed the various ways the hexagons could be joined but demonstrated the one that she liked the best for a flat and eye pleasing completed block.
Local Long Arm Quilters, Shirl and Kathy Badgett were on hand to talk about their local Long Arm Quilting business and what it takes to have a quilt ready for the quilter. Along with their discussion they brought along family heirloom quilts and quilts that would someday be family heirlooms. Also attending with them was a niece who has also picked up the family tradition of quilting.
Carolyn Gragg an avid quilter, whose roots are deep in Calhoun County history, the daughter of the late Willard and Esta Jones of Five Forks, brought along her trunk full of quilts. From the trunk she pulled the very first quilt she'd made, a quilt for her daughter. Many quilts followed in this trunk show, but it was her final quilt that caught the eyes and hearts of those attending. Blocks of appliquéd butterflies, started by Esta, finished by Carolyn. The story started by one and finished by another.
As the day drew to a close, ladies displayed individual quilts and talked about the history of each. Some of the quilts had been started by ancestors, left in closets; some were faded, while others had turned yellow with age. But for this day, the quilts talked, they told of hard times, happy times, where we started and where we are now and left us with an insight of where we are going and who would one day hold up one of our quilts and say, "If this quilt could talk ... "
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