Quilt guild's annual show begins May 12

Colorful quilts in a variety of sizes will be on display beginning May 12 and continuing through May 14 during the Rutherford County Quilt Guild's Annual Quilt Show.

"Springtime in the Carolinas" is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The show is being held in the Student Activities Building on the campus of Isothermal Community College. Admission is $5.

"We'll have vendors and raffles going on and some quilts will be for sale," said Guild Member Dorothy McKinney.

McKinney began quilting after moving to the area, and thought how nice it would be to have a guild to join.

"I went to the Mountains Branch Library and asked if I could put up a poster to see if anyone was interested, and learned that a group had just been formed,"

And while she planned to spend her retirement gourmet cooking, she's found that quilting is a creative outlet that is more suited to her.

"You can be as creative as you want to be," she said. "When you're making clothes you have to fit them to a person. With a quilt, you can make it for a bed or for art - in any shape or size. You are only restricted by your imagination."

Members of the Guild are submitting various items for the judged show, from table runners to clothing. The Guild also works on projects for various charities, McKinney said.

Joining the Guild helped McKinney acclimate to the area, and she recommends if you move to a new town to find the local quilt shop.

"The camaraderie is amazing," she said. "Quilting is a common interest, but also a sense of community."

The Rutherford Quilt Guild meets the second Monday of the month at First Baptist Church in Rutherfordton at 7 p.m. Membership dues are $20 per year. Guests are welcome.