Niceville Quilters Honor Military In Upcoming Show With Special Designs

Normal returns to the Flying Needles Quilt Guild as it prepares for its biennial Emerald Coast Quilt Show, scheduled for March 3 and 4 at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds.

“We usually do them every two years,” said the guild’s quilt show chairperson, Linda Weiss. “We were going to do one in 2021, but we had to cancel because of COVID.”

The show brings allows quilters from all over to enter their work in a variety of adjudicated categories: large pieced, applique, art, hand quilted small pieced, wool work, modern, hand work, other and mixed techniques, and a few other awards.

“We’ll have vendors,” Weiss continued.

“We’ll be doing a Quilt of Valor presentation at the show because we support the Quilts of Valor Foundation,” she said.

A boutique will offer items for sale.

“The boutique has handmade items that people in the guild made that we sell,” Weiss said. Along with the boutique, quilt-theme baskets will be available as ticketed door prizes, and two quilts will be raffled.

In addition to the vendors and the sale items, ribbons will be presented for the various categories, but they will feature the Flying Needles touch. Although the ribbons have been purchased, guild members Diane Roberson and Ruthie Reynoso embellished the ribbons with a bit of quilt work.

The Emerald Coast Quilt Show - The Place for Sew Much Creativity!

The Emerald Coast Quilt Show takes entries for judging from nonmembers and members of the Flying Needles. Entry deadline is Feb. 1, 2023.

Founded in 1989, the guild has grown from its eight founding members to more than 100 from throughout Northwest Florida.

Current Flying Needles President Kerry Kastl said that during the COVID years, the guild had to pull back a little on its quilting promotions, which also includes a biennial retreat. The members, however, remained busy with their individual work.

With the return of normal in 2022, the guild’s production provided donations to several organizations: 1,220 Christmas stockings, 311 pillowcases, 124 drawstring bags, 112 quilts and 33 receiving blankets. Organizations that benefited include Children in Crisis, the Children Advocacy Center, Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida and the Guardian ad Litem program.

“It’s a membership that participates,” Kastl said, adding that increased membership is a small example of the growth in the multi-million dollar quilting industry.

“It’s the modernization of the industry,” she said. “Between the machines, the fabrics, the designs, it’s huge.”

The perception, the techniques have also changed, she said. Still, Kastl sees the quilters coming together to share ideas, to stitch, to admire each other’s work, to give to the community.

“We’re always open to new members,” she said.

For information about the Emerald Coast Quilt Show or about Flying Needles Guild, visit www.flyingneedlesquiltguild.org.