People sow proverbial seeds of friendship by spending quality time together — usually taking part in an activity they mutually enjoy.
For the past 40 years, friendships have been sewn together as members of the Lake County Quilters Guild have worked together to create quilts.
The talent — and bonds — of the Guild’s quilters will be on display next weekend as the group hosts the 41st annual Fantastic Quilt Show Nov. 15-16 at the Venetian Center, 1 Dozier Court, Leesburg.
Tickets for the show cost $10, as visitors can attend on Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and peruse the quilts available for purchase, quilting materials and other home goods that would make great gifts.
“We will have all kinds of things for sale, from table runners to sowing machine covers and other items,” said Pat Alpaugh, resident of Tavares and show planner. “This is the perfect time to get some Christmas shopping done.”
Along with quilts and equipment being on display and for sale during the show, participating vendor, Barb’s Originals, will be providing scissor and knife sharpening services. For $1 per inch for scissors and $15 for pinking shears, Barb’s Originals will improve the condition of your blades.
While many of the vendors and show participants are area residents, the four-decade-old event brings out vendors from across the nation.
Dragonfly Quilt Show from North Carolina, Ritzy’s Quilting Co LLC from Mississippi, and Stone Row Studio from Pennsylvania will all be traveling to Leesburg to show off their wares during the show.
“We are really, really excited to be a part of this quilting community,” Danielle Bulter, owner of the Ritzy’s Quilting Co LLC, said. “We will have 108-inch-wide backing fabric for those who don’t want to cut the fabric to create a large backing.”
And vendor diversity means and wider array of items for visitors to enjoy and purchase.
“Every quilt shop has its own personality and specialize in their own favorite fabric or special tool,” Alpaugh said. “For example, they may have a special ruler and have a kit for the tool and make tutorials for it so people know how to use it.”
Participants who attend the show will be able to purchase tickets for the 2024 raffle quilt done by guild members Lois Gerald, Vickie Esters, Siobhan Furgurson, and Linda Biko. The bright colored quilt was designed by with the Compass Rose pattern by designer Christine Stainbrook and features Handspray fabrics by RJR.
Along with unique patterns and tools on display, there will be a food vendor providing small bites — from salads to sandwiches — during the show.
With nearly 200 members currently in the guild, president Anne Young said the growth of the group reflects how the county has grown and changed over 40 years.
“We’ve mostly stayed the same over the years, but we’ve evolved with the times,” she said. “We have more people who do a variety of quilts from handmade to using a machine.”
From its beginning, the guild has also worked to support the community by donating the handmade quilts. In 2023, the guild donated over 800 quilts to local schools, veteran groups, care centers and other groups.
“The only that’s changed with that over the years is where the quilts go,” Young said. “They go to who need it — from the homeless to the local schools.”
Along with benefiting the community, the guild has been a benefit to its members, too.
“The benefit is the friendship and the support. When one member is going through something, the guild is there for them. We give out comfort quilts,” Alpaugh said. “I lost my husband two years ago, and the support I got was amazing. I’ve learned so much and had the chance to try new things.”
Added Young: “It’s our motto, ‘Make friends, make quilts, and make a difference’.”
Anyone interested in joining the Lake County Quilters Guild can visit one of the group’s meetings, which are held every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Lake County Shrine Club, 42 Duncan Drive, Tavares.
For more information about the guild or the upcoming show, visit lakequiltguild.com.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
