By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
At the “First Annual Fair” of the Wood County Agricultural Society in 1851, there was a single category for quilts. “Best worked bed quilt” was entered in the Domestic Manufactures and Miscellaneous Articles Division. “Best two wool blankets” was the closest competitor according to the first fair premiums and regulations list.
The Home and Garden Building this week at the Wood County Fair is chock full of more quilts than were probably shown in the first ten years of fairs.
Today’s quilt categories at the fair are comprised of hand-quilted, machine-quilted and long arm-quilted quilts and further divided into categories such as bed size, baby size, small wall and large wall sizes.
In addition to the quilts entered for judging, Quilt Day at the fair pays special tribute to the colorful, designed creations. According to Doris Herringshaw, current Wood County Commissioner and former Ohio State University Wood County extension agent, Quilt Day at the fair has been an annual event for more than 30 years. She helped organize the first one in about 1989.
The first Quilt Day had great participation. Herringshaw recalled there was an issue with the quilt stands that caused them to lean dangerously close to the floor. There were also several years of rainy weather and leaking roofs, which makes the current location in the Pratt Pavilion conference room a blessing, she said. The quilts and visiting quilters are protected from the weather, and the cool temperatures are a relief as fairgoers stroll through the displayed quilts.
While the show doesn’t boast as many quilts as were displayed in the early years, the 30+ quilts on display included antique quilts up to current day masterpieces.
Alice Godsey, Perrysburg, shared an old and a new quilt. The old quilt, made by her maternal aunt Marvel Westcott of Ashtabula County in 1973, was a wedding gift. The beautiful king-sized quilt was in fabulous condition after being stored in a cedar chest for many years, the information on the card explained.
She also displayed a new quilted play mat she made for a newborn niece in Burlington, Vermont. “The small gift, at 42” x 48,” has a customized quilt top to depict family interests,” including a pond, lawn chairs, barn and farm animals.
Susan Ramos, who also presented a demonstration about Beginning Applique as part of Quilt Day, displayed a king-size quilt she made two years ago. The quilt uses the pattern, “Aunt Milie’s Flower Garden.”
Diane Warren shared “Teatime in My Rose Garden.” She pieced together the dramatic black background for the “round robin” quilt, which is passed from one person to another to add their talents. “I started with a square in a square in the center, then each quilter added a round,” she said. Once the top was put together, Ginger Ouwenga quilted the project.
A quilt that Jenny Morlock made during the Buckeye Leadership Workshop 20 years ago called “Twister Sister,” demonstrated her detailed quilting talents.
Allison Mills started a new tradition when they go on vacations. “I pick up fabric when I go on vacation and make it into quilts as souvenirs,” she said. The twin-sized piece that she put on display “is from our Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, vacation,” she said. The location is also embroidered on the left corner of the quilt.
Beth Nagel’s husband Ron had seen a panel of fabric depicting a horse. When he asked if she could make him a Christmas present using the panel, she obliged by quilting a double-sized quilt using the Spirit pattern.
Nagel, who is relatively new to quilting picked it up as a hobby in 2008 to help her relax after stressful, long days at work. In that time she has created an untold number of quilted materials from oversized bed quilts to baby blankets, she said.
Now she has perfected so many skills and collected a basement full of fabrics, tools, sewing machines and lesson books. Nagel enjoys challenges such as the “One Block Wonder” and helping others learn to appreciate the art of quilting. She and many of her quilting companions make treks to quilting stores across the region to find quality fabrics in colors for quilts she hasn’t even imagined yet.
Members of three local quilting groups— Prairie Depot Quilters, Maumee Country Quilters and Black Swamp Quilters—brought their sewing machines, tools and fabrics to convince the steady flow of visitors through out the day to consider the art of quilting.
