On Friday and Saturday, stop by the Dolores Community Center to support a biennial charity event put on by the Dolores Mountain Quilter’s Guild.
The event features 100 locally made quilts, which will be judged by the public in six categories. A king-size quilt, titled “98 Stars,” will be raffled off as well. Tickets are $1 each or $6 for five.
There will be a quilters’ boutique sale featuring reasonably priced fabrics, pin cushions, hot pads, bags, lap quilts, and unique gift items. The items are all handmade by guild members.
The show runs on Friday, Aug. 26, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Aug. 26, and from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Aug. 27. Tickets are $3 per person for age 16 and over.
Raffle revenue and boutique sales all goes to public service and nonprofit organizations, including The Piñon Project, the Dolores Fire Department, K-9 Search and Rescue, local schools, Hospice of Montezuma, nursing homes, Social Services, The Nest and Habitat for Humanity.
The event raises between $3,000 and $5,000 every year for local organizations, said Diane Donahue, event organizer and member of the quilters guild.
“Our mission is too keep the art of quilting alive and to give back to the community,” Donahue said. “Expect a marvelous variety of quilts at the show.”
The Dolores Mountain Quilters is the largest in the area, boasting 80 to 90 members. In 1998, it had just 13 members.
“We keep growing, and have an amazing variety of enthusiastic and talented quilters,” Donahue said. “Anyone is welcome to join and attend our meetings to learn how to quilt and get tips from the experts.”
The “98 Stars” quilt being raffled was put together by 25 members of the group. Each person stitches their section, then they are all brought together and assembled into the final quilt, which contains 98 stars in its design. Planning and completion takes many months.
“The group has a lot of very innovative people, and the design for the raffle quilt is carefully selected with a vote of the group,” Donahue said. “We love the challenge of coming up with a new pattern and style for the next year’s quilt show.”
If you are a quilter or interested in learning the art of quilting, attend the guild’s monthly meetings held on the first Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Dolores Community Center. More information is available at doloresmountainquilters.org