Quilters Find Inspiration in Madison at ‘The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show,’ Sept. 10-12
Photo by PBS
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show returns to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Sept. 10-12. Presented by PBS Wisconsin and Nancy Zieman Productions, the event has been an annual Midwest hub for quilters in Wisconsin and across the country for over 20 years.
Ticket sales and class registration are now open at quiltshow.com.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show’s central attraction is the 10-category juried and judged Quilt Contest exhibit, showcasing the incredible talents of quilters from across the country. Find inspiration from a variety of quilting styles, techniques and subjects, from nostalgically traditional to experimentally modern, stunning landscapes to uncanny portraits. The Quilt Contest exhibit is a stunning display of art.
Cash prizes will be awarded in each category of the exhibit, and prizes will be awarded to the Best of Show and Viewers’ Choice quilts. Attendees vote for their favorite quilt to win the Viewers’ Choice award, and the winner is announced Saturday afternoon of the event.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show also includes more than 100 educational opportunities led by expert quilt educators, including lectures, workshops and free stage presentations. Classes are offered for beginner to advanced quilter in a wide range of topics, such as “Beyond the Quilt” a lecture by TaMara Howard which explores how African batiks, mud cloth and heritage textiles can move beyond quilts into contemporary craft, home décor, wearable goods and fine art.
A free stage presentation highlight is the “World of Cosplay” with Yaya Han, at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. She is a cosplay entrepreneur and award-winning costume maker, who will share insight into how costumes and accessories are created to look like specific characters from anime, video games and movies, followed by audience Q&A.
Taking the stage at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11 is Lina Owen to share her free presentation, “Acolchado Bilingüe (Bilingual Quilting).” Owen co-authored a book, “Learn to Quilt,” a bilingual guide to help Spanish speakers gain confidence in quilting.
Participants in the second-annual Quilted Fashion Show will walk the runway at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. View garments and accessories created with quilting fabrics and/or piecing and quilting techniques in a special exhibit at the event, and join us for a fun-filled fashion show on the free presentation stage.
Photo by PBS
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show features a quilting vendor mall covering over 100,000 square feet. Trusted vendors from across the country bring the latest fabrics, threads, sewing machines, notions and more.
Quilt Show attendees can stay late on Thursday and Friday to continue celebrating quilting for special evening events.
Victoria Findlay Wolfe will present “The Quilting Experience” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. Originally a Minnesota farm girl, she is a New York-based international award-winning quilt artist, fabric designer, teacher and author, and was featured in the PBS series Craft in America: Quilts and on PBS Wisconsin’s Sewing with Nancy.
She will also share a special exhibit of her quilts called “Virtual Voyage: Pixels & Patchwork” and will present a lecture called “Virtual Voyages.” Attendees can also find Woolfe and her templates in the vendor mall at booths 80-81.
Sharing a special evening event at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, is Madison’s own Catrina J. Sparkman, the Artistic Director of the Creator’s Cottage, with The Black Threads Quilting Collective. Through voice, story and textile they will present “An Artist Talk: The Stock I Come From.” This theatrical performance will illuminate personal and collective histories, tracing lineage, memory and threads that bind generations.
Sparkman has been a working artist in Madison for over 25 years and opened the Creator’s Cottage as a safe space for writers and artists to create, especially people of color. In an interview with PBS Wisconsin, she said that “Who we are in the world has a lot to do with our roots,” and “The Stock I Come From” was inspired by The Black Threads Collective sharing family stories with one another.
“The Stock I Come From” will also be on display throughout the event as a special exhibit and the Creator’s Cottage will be in the vendor mall at booths 433-44.
Photo by PBS
Attendees can also join The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show’s annual community service project, Quilt to Give, hosted by Nancy Zieman Productions. Donate materials or time to create quilts for those in need. Completed quilts benefit Enchanted Makeovers and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS).
Throughout the event, attendees can enter a raffle at the PBS Wisconsin booth to win prizes thanks to generous prize donors. Quilt appraisals are also available. Appointments are limited, but can be made at quiltshow.com or at the Class Ticket Sales desk on site.
Proceeds from The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show help support PBS Wisconsin programs and community outreach projects.
