Quilt Show, Tea
Dear Editor: Thirty-five years ago the first quilt show was just an idea to show off the quilts being made in the Islands Community College quilting class. The class was over in early May, but only a couple people had completed their quilts. The search went out for quilts around town. With 60 quilts to hang the show opened the week before Mother’s Day. Since it was up and people were flocking to see it, a special tea was scheduled for Mother’s Day. It remained hanging for another week because of the great attendance.
This started the tradition of the Ocean Wave Quilters Guild annual two-week show and Mother’s Day tea. This year it was held on the historic Sheldon Jackson Campus in Whitmore Hall courtesy of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Whitmore Hall is part of the original campus built in 1911. It was a lovely setting for the 80 previously unhung quilts made by guild and other quilters. The entire first floor had quilts on the walls and on the beds. The tea on Mother’s Day invited people to stay and enjoy with the live flute music, a large assortment of cookies and hot tea, and tables set with linens and flowers.
Thank you very much to the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for the beautiful building, thank you to all the amazingly talented quilters who every year delight us with new quilts, thank you to the people who hung and sat with the show, thank you to all for the generous help with the tea, and, mostly, thank you, Sitka, for appreciating our show and coming out to see it.
Janine Holzman, Vicki Baggen,
Co-Hosts
Ocean Wave Quilters Annual
Quilt Show and Mother’s Day Tea
