On Saturday, Oct. 11, there wasn’t a seat available in the sanctuary at Centenary United Methodist Church in Pentwater. The pews were filled to capacity with quilts on display for the church’s first-ever quilt show sponsored by the Pentwater Township Library and held in conjunction with the annual Fall Fest organized by the Pentwater Chamber of Commerce.
The idea originated with Ann Soles, who pitched the concept to the church’s "Prayers and Squares" group, which makes and donates quilts as expressions of comfort and support. The quilt group liked the idea. “I’ve got an old family quilt I could display,” said some of them.
The enthusiasm generated 40-50 entries. The library became involved with the marketing of the event and the entry process. No fees were involved, but information was required about each quilt submitted. Amy Shotwell from the “Sew Let’s Be Quilty” shop had several items on display, including a quilted jacket. Table runners and quilts came in many sizes.
Susan Hacker reported, “So many people came to view the display. Well over 200 men and women admired the entries. We finally gave up counting them as they came in.”
There were bed quilts made from traditional patterns such as the wedding design of linked rings and others created from original designs such as Elaine Konya’s landscape and wildlife scene. One quilt was made from burlap bags, and another was a 1920s family heirloom hand-quilted blanket. Matt Hacker submitted a quilt gifted to him by women from a Native American tribe in Sisseton, South Dakota in gratitude for his 20 years of service at a mission there.
“We provided gloves for visitors to wear if they wanted to touch and examine the entries,” Susan Hacker shared. “The response for submissions was wonderful. We could not have had a better location: we were on the corner at the end of the car show. And the weather could not have been better either. We will likely do it again next year.”
Indeed, if the response grows next year, the church may have to expand their display space beyond the sanctuary to additional rooms in their facility.
