Prairie Quilt Guild of Wichita will host its first quilt show in 4 years this week
One of the biggest quilt shows in Kansas is back for the first time in four years.
The Prairie Quilt Guild of Wichita’s 2022 Common Threads Quilt Show will take place June 24-25 in Century II’s exhibition hall. The show will feature 300 quilts created in different styles from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on both days.
About 3,000 people showed up at the guild’s last show, in 2018, two years before the guild canceled its 2020 show because of the pandemic. Jan Hutchison, a co-chair of the show alongside Donna Lynden, hopes this year will be just as successful.
“Everyone’s excited because it’s been so long since our last show,” Hutchison said. “This is the chance the guild has to show off, for their families and for the community to show what quilters are doing nowadays.”
In addition to the traditional handmade quilts on display, Hutchison said the show will also feature modern quilts and what are known as pictorial quilts, which illustrate a scene.
“There’s a wide variety of quilts available — not as many traditional quilts as we used to get,” Hutchison said.
The Prairie Quilt Guild is a Kansas quilt organization devoted to promoting and advancing the art of quilt making. The quilts to be displayed were crafted solely by members.
Hutchison said there will be no theme at this year’s contest. Some quilts will be at the show only for display, while others will be reviewed by approximately 100 judges to compete for ribbons. In addition, around 30 vendors will sell quilting supplies, sewing and quilting machines, fabrics, patterns and more.
The show will also include a silent auction for mini quilts, and a raffle for an “Opportunity Quilt” on June 25 during the show. The opportunity quilt was made and quilted by a group of guild members. Tickets for the raffle to win the quilt are $1 each or $5 for six. The quilt is called “Sprigs and Stars.” Kim McLean, who designed the original quilt, gave the members permission to use her design.
Quilts created by kids at a quilt camp hosted last summer by the guild will also be on display, Hutchison said.
Admission to the show is $15 for one day or $20 for two.
“We’re waiting to see this year with COVID,” Hutchison said. “Our guild is smaller than it was a couple of years ago. We had to stop meeting for a year or so. Hopefully, we do just as well this year.”
The Common Threads Quilt Show occurs every other year.
For more information about the show, visit commonthreadsquiltshow.com.