Fabric treasure

Fabric treasure: Greenback Museum hosts 8th annual quilt show

Linda Braden Albert Daily Times Correspondent

You never know what fabric treasures you’ll find at the Greenback Heritage Museum’s Quilt Show. The possibilities are endless and might include vintage quilts in the utilitarian style of centuries past or modern quilted pieces and wall hangings. They could depict traditional patterns or patterns drawn from the minds of the skilled artists who sewed them together — and they might be constructed from flour sacks or men’s ties or whatever material caught their eye.

Quilts will be displayed at the 8th annual show, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 6-8 at the museum, 6725 Morganton Road, Greenback. There is no fee to enter quilts or for admission to the show. Although entries already have been accepted, possible competitors for bragging rights and a cash prize still have the opportunity to bring entries to the museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

In keeping with the Greenback tradition, cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries as determined by “piggy bank votes.” Each quilt is assigned a number, and the public can vote for their favorites by putting pennies in the appropriate bank.

“People enjoy the pigs!” said Barbara Davis, chairman of the Quilt Show Committee. They enjoy the entries, too, and seeing familiar names along with stories behind the quilts. “There is such talent, such handwork in the quilts.”

Oh, the possibilities

Donna Irwin Couture will enter some of her quilts in the show. Couture is a Greenback native, returning to the area after being away for 25 years, and now volunteers at the museum. Her quilts include a Mexican Star pattern, a scrap quilt to use up remnants of fabric left over from other projects, a pumpkin patch quilt made from a kit, and a wall hanging depicting a dragon.

Couture began quilting about 35 years ago after sewing clothing for several years before.

“I joined a quilt club in California and got interested, took a couple of classes,” she recalled. “I’ve been at it ever since.”

The first big quilt she made all those years ago was from a log cabin pattern to be used as a bedspread. The quilt, made of browns and beiges, placed in the top three at a fair in California. “It was the first big one I ever did,” she said. “It took me 40 hours to cut it out and less than 40 hours to sew it together.”

Cindy Benefield, a descendant of the McCollum family of Greenback, also volunteers at the museum and served on the board of directors. She showed some of the vintage items that will be displayed during the quilt show, including a postage stamp quilt made by Willie Ruth Dixon Hudson in 1934 as she waited until she was of age to attend nurse’s training, and a quilt made of feed sacks.

“Sandy Jones brought this in,” Benefield said. “Her grandmother had made this. It was a simpler way, where they had just tacked the quilt instead of the more fancy quilting. There are just so many quilts, and they are all really pretty.”

See what’s here

The main reason for the event is to bring people into the Greenback Heritage Museum to see its holdings, which include photographs, scrapbooks and relics from Greenback’s past.

Donations to the museum are encouraged, especially in light of its upcoming expansion. “The space next door has been donated by the Ragain family,” Benefield said, adding that the quilt show this year is dedicated to the memory of the late Betty Carroll, an avid quilter who died earlier this year. Carroll, chairman of the museum board, was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the museum and tirelessly devoted her time, resources and efforts into preserving the small town’s heritage and history.

“We are so thrilled that the Ragain family donated the space next door for museum expansion,” she said. “It’s in bad repair and has not yet been deemed on the National Historic Register so we can’t get grant money yet, so there will be many fundraisers. Betty Carroll stipulated that memorial gifts be made to the museum, and that started the fundraising for the restoration of the space.”

Sandra Tipton is acting chairman of the museum board, taking Carroll’s place until Carroll’s daughter, Linda Berry, takes the reins.

Creative expression

Last year, visitors could view a coverlet woven on the McCollum Farm in Greenback in 1850 or a patchwork quilt made in 1852 — or more modern creations depicting “Star Wars” character Darth Vader, flip-flops or a window with deer peeking inside. Special, heartfelt quilts filled with memories were displayed, as well — a post office lap quilt made for a special dad out of his uniforms; a farm quilt for another dad depicting memories from growing up on a farm in Iowa; Nana’s traveling Christmas quilt, showing her grandchildren’s interest. The creativity of the 93 entries drew almost 300 viewers.

The 2017 winners included Mary Dixon, first place for her pink dogwood quilt, which she hand pieced and quilted; second place, Leonard Proffitt with a quilt called Dolls of the World, which was embroidered and quilted by his wife, Edith Proffitt; and third place, Ann Conway Burdick with a quilt made by women in Guatemala with hand-woven textiles.

Museum volunteer Thelma Cooper said, “I’m just amazed at the variety of quilts that come in,” and Tipton agreed. “When you see all the creativity, you’re inspired, and I think that’s what this quilt show does. It inspires people’s imaginations. You share yours, and then you get inspired, too.”