Quilts on display at Easter exhibition

IN what has become a biennial tradition, Bendigo and District Quilters is preparing their display of more than 100 handmade quilts as part of the town’s Easter Festival.

A Parade of Quilts will bring together the creations of local quilters in a four-day exhibition aimed at showcasing the variety of technique and scale used in the craft of quilting.

Jane Leahy, a member of Bendigo and district Quilters and part of the exhibition committee, said the event will have something for everyone.

“There’s an incredible range of traditional quilts and newer more modern designs and interpretations that make it interesting, and what people can do with fabric and technique,” she said.

Quilting is a practice that Ms Leahy said most of their members engage in for relaxation and joy of creating, with most of the quilts being given as gifts to family and friends.

The work included in the exhibition is a celebration of the effort quilters put into their craft, and will give visitors a glimpse into the different types of quilts such as art quilts, bedding, wall hangings, and smaller quilts for cots.

“It’s pretty amazing to see it all come together, we have show and tell every week at quilters, so we sort of see things in progress but to get everyone together it’s fabulous,” said Ms Leahy.

In addition to the main exhibition, the quilters will come together for a members-only opening event during which the winner of the Bernina award will be announced.

The recipient is chosen by the members of BADQ and wins a new Bernina sewing machine donated by the brand.

“They’ve been supporting us for about 10 years now, and they donated the machine, along with the House of Cloth who is another sponsor,” Ms Leahy said.

As part of this year’s exhibition, BADQ member will host a talk on the history of quilting at the Bendigo library on 14 March.

A Parade of Quilts will be on at St Andrew’s Uniting Church Hall, 26 Myers Street, Bendigo for the duration of the Easter Festival from 29 March to 1 April.

Entry is $5 and visitors can vote for their favourite quilt in the viewer’s choice award and purchase raffle tickets to go in the draw to win their own quilt.