The First Annual Quilters Craft Sale brought a bustling crowd of customers Saturday morning to Savannah Center.
If a quilter’s craft sale makes you think of grandma’s comfy bedspread, think again. Items for sale on Saturday included beach bags, pillows, wine carriers, decorative holiday items, purses and beautiful wall hangings.
The Quilting Guild of the Villages hosts a Quilt Show every other year on odd number years. This juried show uses every room in the Savannah Center. One of the rooms is the Boutique, a popular destination for customers interested in purchasing craft items. Under the leadership of current Guild president Beth Bender, it was decided to hold a separate craft sale as a supplement to the bigger show. As Bender notes, it gives this group of over-achievers a chance to showcase their personal art. “They love to quilt,” she said.
The over-achievers description comes from the fact that when asked by Operation Homebound to make 300 placemats, the members produced 800. When a request came in from Villages Honor Flight for 70 quilts, 120 quits came in. The additional quilts went to the VA Center in Tampa. More stories like this abound from the group of 18 chapters that make up the Quilting Guild of the Villages. Membership is 1,000 strong. This is not an entirely female enterprise. Membership in the Guild includes two men.
In addition to the quilted items for sale the Guild is selling their first ever cookbook: Cooking in Paradise. Filled with tried and true family recipes from guild members, the proceeds from the cookbook support Shepherd’s Lighthouse. You still have an opportunity to purchase the cookbook, Guild members will be selling them at Market Nights on the squares.
The Guild began in 1993 with two chapters of quilters. In 2002, the Quilting Guild of the Villages was officially established. Chapters meet at various Rec Centers primarily on Tuesdays. For meeting locations check out their website: www.QGOTV.org. Beginners are welcome.