Showcase Review

"Showcase," the biannual event for Quilting Guild of The Villages (QGOTV) was Friday and Saturday.

The 500 quilts displayed represent 27 chapters of QGOTV. Membership is approximately 1,200 quilters. When each chapter is founded, those quilters make a chapter banner.

This is the Big Cypress Chapter banner. I wasn't a member when Big Cypress was founded, about ten years ago.

These are some of the newest chapters. One is called Happy Hour! 

My three quilts were awarded: 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention. 

In the category of Pieced (Large) Ruth Strocchia placed 1st.

In the category of Pieced (Large), my 2019 Temperature Quilt placed 2nd.

Thirty-eight quilts were entered in the 24" X 24" 30 Challenge category.

Two quiltmakers received "Best Interpretation of Show Theme." - Ruth Strocchia

Sharon Joplin

1st place was award to Alice Smith.

My Party Times 30 (upper right) was awarded 3rd. It sold for $50 to another QGOTV member. 

Many of us were thrilled to see how well our Central Florida MQG (CFMQG) members did in the Modern category. Yes, many of CFMQGers also belong to QGOTV.

Michaelynn Nicholl's quilt was awarded Judge's Choice.

Gwen Fry's quilt was awarded 2nd.

Linda Thomas's quilt was awarded 3rd.

My Playin' Around quilt was awarded Honorable Mention. 

Big Cypress Quilters were responsible for making the 128 ribbons that were awarded. It's interesting to realize that I very likely helped make at least one of the three ribbons I received!

A special exhibit of quilts made in QGOTV workshops with guest presenters, found this modern-looking group of quilts. CFMQG quilters Gwen Fry and Becky Chianese made the upper left and lower left quilts, respectively. 

Our QGOTV president, Ardie, who is also a member of CFMQG gave this quilt her President's Award. Ardie told me she picked it: "Just because it made me smile." Made by Kathy Thrall.

Best of Show winner was this Judy Neimeyer design made by Mary Ann Caggiano and longarm quilted by Linda Spence.

4-H kids, led by another CFMQG/QGOTV member, had their own display. I was tickled to find nine year-old Eden with her quilt, and her first place ribbon. The center bottom pineapple has this written on it: 

Be like a pineapple. Stand tall. Wear a crown. And be sweet on the inside. 

In her description she wrote: 

Hand sewing the binding on the back of the quilt was hard and took a long time. I hope to make more quilts and will try to do better at matching points.

 I know all quilt makers wish for that!

Eden longarm quilted it too. She was a proud little girl, and rightly so!

You might notice that Eden's wearing a blue ribbon. These badges were placed on each ribbon-winning quilt, to be worn during the show.

This show is a ton of work, put on exclusively by volunteers. No doubt everyone's ready for a long recoup. The next Showcase is January 2025. Linda