Quilt show at Goshen First Presbyterian dazzles
Goshen. Glorious quilts were arrayed on the pews of the historic church. Many awe-inspiring examples of needlework, including lacework, embroidery, and cross-stitch, were also on display.
Goshen /
| 27 Nov 2019 | 02:29
Overshot coverlet made in Monroe County, West Virginia, by Josephine Hutchison Wikel (1854-1888) in the early 1870s. This coverlet was passed down in the Wikel family. Josephine grew the flax for the linen, raised the sheep for the wool, and did the spinning, dyeing, and weaving. She is the great-grandmother of Kathleen Lowry Alevras. (
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Donna Post quilt made by Ina Rae Whaley, owned by Bill Powers (
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MaryEllen Count from Blooming Grove admires the quilts (
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Golden Loaf quilt made in 2018 by Marjorie Wilson (
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Star quilt made in 1994 by the late Charlene Smith Klieverik and owned by Ron Klieverik. Charlene was born and raised in New Hampshire and for many years designed and made much of her own clothing. In 1990 she moved with her husband and son to Holland, where she started designing and making quilts. In 1995 she moved to Goshen, where she continued her craft until her passing in 2004. Charlene's quilts continue to be enjoyed by her family and friends. (
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Quilt by Sally Hubley, named for her cats Louis and Tilly (
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Applique quilt, 1930s, maker unknown (
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Blue and white tablecloth (
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Fish pattern by Ina Rae Whaley (
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Embroidered and open work towels by various needleworkers (
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Customers admire quiltwork upstairs at the craft fair at First Presbyterian (
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Quilts were shown in the beautiful sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of Goshen (
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Esther Zaccone with cloth wreaths for sale (
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There were many beautiful old favorites along with several new entries at the 12th annual "Quilts of the Congregation and Friends," presented at the First Presbyterian Church in Goshen on Nov. 23.
It’s hard to describe how glorious these quilts look arrayed on the pews of the historic church. Many awe-inspiring examples of needlework, including lacework, embroidery, and cross-stitch, were on display. Some of the early handmade items are jaw-droppingly impressive, especially when you think of the work and skill involved in making them.
One particular favorite was made by Josephine Hutchinson Wikel in the 1870s. She died at age 34 but left the unforgettable legacy of her coverlet to her descendants, who handed it down through the generations and made it available for us to marvel at. This coverlet was literally made from scratch. Wikel raised the sheep, spun their wool into thread, dyed it, and wove it into the coverlet. She grew and harvested the flax, spinning the linen thread from it, dyeing it, and weaving it into the design. The colors of the white and blue threads have endured, but the red threads have faded.
“It’s really wonderful to see all these beautiful hand-done quilts by people from long ago who took so much time to do these kind of things,” said visitor MaryEllen Count from Blooming Grove. “It’s really a gift to be able to see them today.”
Bette Anne Long, one of the coordinators of the show, along with Kathleen Alevras, said, "We’re very grateful to the people who share their quilts with us. Some of them are very, very old and fragile. Some were just finished a couple of days ago. But we like all of them, and we’re always glad to show them off.”
The show was accompanied by a holiday craft fair that showcased local talent. As in previous years, proceeds from the quilt show and fair will be donated to the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry.
If you missed the show this year, be sure to catch it next November.