Traditional Meets Modern in Guild’s 2019 Raffle Quilt

Olde Kent Quilters president Barbara Kelly

A traditional double wedding ring quilt takes on a bright, modern look in “Wedding in the Night Garden,” the Olde Kent Quilters Guild’s 2019 raffle quilt. Bumping up the size of the rings and combining colorful polka dots with a bohemian floral gives the queen-size quilt an eye-catching fresh look. The design is a variation on a pattern by nationally known quilt designer and teacher Debbie Kratovil. The talents of more than half of the 80-member guild went into its creation.

Tickets for the raffle are six for $5 or $1 apiece and may be purchased at First Fridays, Rock Hall’s FallFest and from any member of the guild. The proceeds support the guild’s charity quilting program, Deborah’s Angels, which has donated more than 2700 quilts since its inception in 2004, and its two community outreach projects, Hands of Time (a partnership with the Kent County Detention Center) and pet beds for rescue cats and dogs. The quilt, which measures approximately 97”x97”, is the first of four prizes in the raffle. Second prize is a 36”x36” wall/table quilt, third prize is a pillow and fourth prize is a messenger bag, all of which include fabrics from the quilt. The winners’ names will be drawn on Tuesday, November 19.

Tickets will also be available at the guild’s biennial Shore Love Quilting! Show & Market at the Kent Center on Saturday, October 19, and Sunday, October 20. More than 75 quilts will be on display, ranging from large, bed-size quilts to a variety of smaller lap and baby quilts and art quilts. The guild’s four Bees, or special interest groups, will be this year’s Featured Quilters. The Market will offer a wide variety of hand-crafted items, including table runners, tote bags, pillows, and mug rugs, making it a perfect place to start shopping for the holidays. Fabrics, books, patterns and other quilting-related items will also be for sale. Credit cards will be accepted. Admission to the show is $8; children 12 and under, free.

This year, Shore Love Quilting! Show & Market will run concurrently with the first weekend of the RiverArts Studio Tour, offering the show’s visitors a special opportunity to meet many of the diverse artists that call Chestertown and Kent County home. For more information about Studio Tour, visit the RiverArts website at chestertownriverarts.net.

The Olde Kent Quilters Guild, which will celebrate its 25^th anniversary in 2020, meets on the third Tuesday of the month, January through November, at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown, with workshops on the third Wednesday. All skill levels, including beginners, are welcome. For more information, contact guild president Barbara Kelly, 215.872.4084.