This past weekend, Franklin County held another annual Quilt Show. Held at the Brookville High School gymnasium, guests had the chance to browse dozens of handmade quilts with various patterns, work, quilt demonstrations, and shop with several vendors.  

The challenge this year was the Amish Quilt Challenge, where contestants needed to create a pattern with a black background and darker pastel colors. Winners awarded were: 

1st place - Amish Stars, designed by Mary Elliot Macdonald and quilted by Sherrie Plowman. It was exhibited by Peggy Ratz. 

1st place - Tumbling Blocks, quilted by Waglers (Montgomery, IN) and exhibited by Lorry Kirschner. 

Honorable Mention - Pinwheel Stars, designed by Kaffe Fasset and quilted by Jennie VanMeter. 

2nd place - No title, designed by Mary Reiboldt and quilted by Teresa Case. It was exhibited by Mary Reiboldt. 

3rd place - Exploding Hearts, designed by Laura Piland and quilted by Linda Wilson. It was exhibited by Nancy Bodnar. 

Along the rows of quilts, one section honored Janice Dunaway and all of her quilting pieces over the years. She began in 1985 and was part of the original Quilt Batts. She made quilts for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Janice has been familiar with sewing for years, but nowadays, you can occasionally find her at the Frances Shoppe, owned by her parents. 

Other categories were baby quilts. Red/White/Blue themes, and miscellaneous involving needlework and machine, or standalones. However, there was no shortage of creativity in the quilts displayed. Some were honoring cancer survivors, some had cute little animals on them, another was dedicated to sports, 4-H quilts, and much smaller pieces including table runners, mats, and decorative pieces. 

Vendors lined the far walls and surrounded the quilt displays. These vendors set up their booths, had much to tell about their merchandise, and overall, helped visitors have an enjoyable experience during the show. Listed below were the fantastic vendors who showed up ready to serve: 

IEHA - plants, books, handmade scrubbers and dish cloths. 

Donna’s Cover All - A variety of colorful tupperware and lids for storing needs. 

Never Done Fiber Farms - Run by Joy Davis of Connersville, Joy had bags, pillows, quilting products, and was currently working with alpaca fiber to make coasters. These were insanely soft, have stability, and can go anywhere with you. She hopes to continue using this medium for future products. 

Thirty One - Run by Carol Schweitzer, Carol had gorgeous bags, clutches, bag straps, cups and tumblers, totes of all sizes, purse organizers, and kit organizers on display. 

Mary Kay - Run by Pamela Thomas and Karen Fitzgerald, these two lovely ladies had an assortment of lotions, moisturizers, cleansers, body washes, and make-up. They were also providing customers with some suggestions on products to help with any skin concerns they may have, along with explaining which products they should avoid. 

Alice Ridge - Alice runs a workshop where she travels and teaches about quilting and needlework. All the pieces displayed were her own work and as she spoke of her classes and time, her passion rang clear. She even had quilting supply kits for those on-the-go projects. 

The Soap Shepherd - Run by Rebecca Meyer, Rebecca had a large table full of handmade goat milk soaps of sweet aromas. A few include Plumeria, Cinnamon, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Lilac, Juniper Breeze, Coconut, and Vanilla. Along with her soap baskets, Rebecca also had some shower gels, body lotions, and compact loofas to accompany the baskets. 

JSK Fabrics - Run by Joann Koch, Joann had quite a table. Fabric pieces of all sizes and designs, felt creations, clean and recycled tupperware for sewing supplies, sage, and her newest additions, Die-Cut Precision kits. These kits had precisely cut pieces and instructions for you to create a small to large quilt on your own time without the hassle of cutting and measuring yourself. 

Cheri Reese - Cherri had handmade gnomes of all sizes, smaller yarn gnome ornaments, hand saddles (displayed on a plush rooster for some laughs), and a variety of sewing kits.