Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival built on Holmes County tradition
The annual Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival was created to fascinate and educate quilters, from the novice to experienced artists.
From the beginning of a quilting or sewing project to the final product, the annual Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival was created to provide all of the necessary tools for quilters to grow and develop their skills while promoting the joy of the hobby.
This year from Sept. 7-9 in the Mt. Hope Event Center, there will be row upon row of hanging quilts adorning the walls and floor, along with dozens of vendors and plenty of demonstrations and seminars.
“We’re excited about what this year’s show brings to the table,” said Ada Miller, owner of Lone Star Quilt in Mt. Hope. “This is a unique show featuring a lot of new ideas and designs that should entice any quilters from novice to experienced.”
The idea of the Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival is to inspire quilters of all levels to challenge themselves in their work and to ignite a greater passion in the hobby by providing insight into new techniques and ideas on how they can get creative with their sewing and stitching.
This show has grown into one that has reached far beyond the border of Holmes County and even Ohio, drawing many people from out of state.
According to OACQF promoter Joanne Hubbard, there is a certain Amish Country flair that encompasses the event and keeps people coming back time and again to experience everything the show offers.
The show will feature nearly three dozen vendors, as well as people simply sitting and stitching a quilt, something that is commonplace in Amish Country.
For decades Amish quilters have created some of the most high-quality quilts to be found.
They are the reason why Amish hand-made quilts continue to draw great interest from those seeking to purchase a quilt.
“They love what they do, and they enjoy doing it together,” Miller said. “This is a chance for anyone to sit down with them and join in the fun of quilting.”
A trio of professionals will highlight the festivities. Jacqueline DeJonge will present BeColourful, a blend of quilting techniques that come straight from the Netherlands. Felice Dahlhausen and Phillips Fiber Art will present a pair of opportunities for quilters to glean insight.
The number of classes being presented offers an array that will cater to any quilter’s tastes.
The Sept. 7 classes include Hen House Love with Charisma Horton, Circle Sample Embroidery with Dahlhausen, Love Your Featherweight featuring Kathy Farra, Oh My Gourd! Floor Canvas by Tami Pfeil, Barn Quilt Painting hosted by Deborah of Barn Quilter Express, Touch of Heirloom Sewing Pincushion by Susan Pfaff and a Corey Yoder Trunk Show.
Sept. 8 will present Patched: A Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt with Horton, Color Confidence with Gerald Schwab, Love Your Featherweight with Farra, Slub Canvas Tote Bag with Pfeil, Barn Quilt Painting hosted by Deborah of Barn Quilter Express and another Trunk Show featuring Horton.
Sept. 9 will usher in classes of Hope & Love Pillows and Table Runners by Horton, Concord T-Shirt Saturday with Elisa Milano and Hand Quilting with Amy Miller.
Then there is the Cabin of Your Dreams Quilt Challenge, which invites people to participate in a contest featuring the log cabin quilt style. This event challenges quilters to create a quilt using the log cabin block, and as this quilting contest in prior years has shown, participants creating entries can be very creative in how they approach the challenge.
Quilters can go traditional or contemporary as long as they use any of the many log cabin block variations.
All of the entries will hang together.
Then there are the three women who started this event several years ago. The trio of Dawn Krier of Chestnut Ridge Sewing, Miller of Lone Star Quilt Shop and Naomi Miller of Miller's Dry Goods created this show, and their expertise allowed so much of the tradition and expertise of Amish Country quilters to shine.
“We’re very friendly competitors,” Ada Miller said of the trio. “We understand the value of teaming up together to create a show that draws people from near and far. Friendly competition is good for all of us, and we all have our own unique styles that we bring to the show.”
Ada Miller also said the local "Traveling Quilt" that continues to be auctioned off at local benefit auctions throughout the year will be showcased.
“It has raised more than $16,000 thus far this year,” Miller said.
With plenty of activities, seminars, vendors and educational opportunities, along with great food and fellowship, the annual Ohio's Amish Country Quilt Festival should ring in plenty of joy to those who love to quilt and sew.
For more information visit www.ohiosamishcountryquiltfestival.net.