In prior years, this artistic winter event was often held at the South Padre Island Convention Centre and drew in hundreds of new and frequent visitors.
However, due to the pandemic, plans for an in-person event were off the table this year.
This led the Rio Grande Valley Quilt Guild to adjust their main fundraiser of the year to these trying times and gain a new learning experience.
The RGV Quilt Guild will host its 39th annual Rio Grande Valley Quilt Show virtually on www.rgvquiltshow.org from Monday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 14.
RGV Quilt Show chair Laurie Magee has been a member of the quilt guild for five years and said a lot of planning goes into creating the event.
“Pretty much everything has been canceled because of the virus so we had to come up with a different way to do it, and we really didn’t want to skip a year because it’s an opportunity for our members to showcase the work they’ve done,” she said. “We’re hoping a lot of people take the time to go on the website and take the opportunity to learn more about the past.”
This year’s theme, “From Vintage to Modern — Quilts for all Times,” aims to immerse attendees into the history and nostalgia of quilting, as well as give them a look into the future of the craft.
“One of the reasons that I chose this theme was the fact that modern quilters do some really amazing new stuff,” Magee said. “There’s threads, a lot of the modern patterns have bases in the past, but it’s a new look, a new twist so that’s why the lectures give listeners further information about quilts from the past.”
The quilt show itself has a variety of categories which include — modern quilts, quilts of the past, quilts of today, art quilts, quilts of tomorrow and challenge 2021.
This year’s challenge was to take a pre-1960s vintage block or vintage linen and create a new wall hanging for future generations.
Another one of the show’s categories is a quilting paraphernalia exhibit that showcases vintage items, such as pincushions, sewing machines and puzzle boxes.
Activities
RGV Quilt Show presenter Mary Kerr will host a class on Zoom titled “Wonky Star — Improve with a Vintage Twist” on Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kerr grew up in a family of quilters and has been teaching since 1987.
“I currently lecture and conduct workshops that focus on quilt history and the preservation of antique textiles,” she stated. “My recent work marries my love of all things vintage with the freedom of expression that is encouraged in our art quilt community.”
Participants of Kerr’s class will learn how to combine vintage with a fun, modern aesthetic while working with textiles to create a wonky star surrounded by a lot of negative space for modern quilting designs.
According to event organizers, the workshop will be packed with tips for working with vintage fragments and ways to showcase the pieces.
The fee for this class is $40. To register, visit www.rgvqg.com. The last day for class registration is Feb. 5.
Another live lecture with a question and answer section titled “Repairing Old Family Quilts” will be held via Zoom on Feb. 9 at 9 a.m.
In addition to the classes, the virtual quilt show will have free lectures, auctions and vendor demos.
“In the convention centre it would be booths all the way around the edge. Now, you can click on a vendor and it will take you to their online shop,” Magee said. “We also have a silent auction for some pretty cool stuff, so there will be an opportunity to buy some really pretty quilts and different collections of items.”
For more information, email the RGV Quilt Guild at [email protected].
