Stories told through quilts

It doesn't take long for the stories to appear to the viewer. Just looking at the pieces of fabric sewn together in a pattern tells a tale.

What the tale is all depends on who sewed the quilt and what kind of a mood they were in when doing so.

Green River residents who attended the Quilting on the Green, which once again took place at Expedition Island this past weekend, were not disappointed with the creativity that went into each quilt at the show.

Quilts of all colors and sizes were on display for visitors to see, but more than that, the stories were on display for all to see. Each quilt had the quilters name and the story behind the quilt on it. This gave the visitor the chance to find out what the thought process was behind the quilt, which in turn made the quilt even more special.

Patsy Moody, the event's chairman, said before residents had a chance to see the quilts they were judged by Crystal North, a certified judge out of Salt Lake City. North has more than 20 years experience quilting. She judged the quilts on first impression, design and creativity, quilt workmanship, quilting, binding and finishing, edges and borders.

The judges have to be certified. Moody said it isn't just someone off of the street who looks at them.

"I just want to promote the art of quilting. The art of creativity," Moody said. "It's a dying art. The changing art."

Moody noticed the decrease in the amount of entries done by hand. Most of them are all sewn by a sewing machine. She also noticed the lack of youth entries. She doesn't want this art to be lost, but it could happen.

"This isn't just for little old ladies," Moody said.

Even men have entered quilts in the past, which breaks the stereotypes of who quilts.

"It's just a nice art to keep alive and a historical art," Moody said.

According to Moody, during the Civil War, the ladies would create quilting blocks with signals on them. This way the side they supported would know when the coast was clear and when to stay out of sight. Moody is just amazed how quilts were used as a form of communication.

Today the same concept still applies. Although the story may not be the difference between someone getting shot or not, it is still just as important to the creator of that quilt.

"I think it's your own personal expression," Moody said. "It's an emotion."

Through her own experience of quilting, Moody can attest that her quilts tend to reflect the mood she is in when she creates them. This is how each quilt will speak to someone looking at it.

"Every quilt has it's own personality," she said.

As with any project, some quilts are never finished. She said almost every quilter has what they call UFO's or in their terms "unfinished objects."

Another thing people may not know about quilters, is they all have their own stash, which is a collection of fabric they have obtained over the years. Moody said it is extremely common for quilters who travel to stop in every quilting store they see to pick up fabric. She said they may not even know what the fabric will be used for, but they will still get it.

"It gets in your blood," she said.

This is one of the reasons why the Quilting on the Green has had vendors at the show. Not only does this give quilters a chance to purchase more fabric, it gives them the chance to talk with other quilters and get tips. Ladies were busy visiting throughout the event on various techniques and projects they were working on. Moody said this is exactly what she would like to continue to happen.

Those looking at the quilts stopped to discuss the technique, the colors, the patterns and the stories.

Most were in awe of one quilt by Bunnie Galley called "Friendship, Love and Tears," that stood out among the rest. Galley's quilt not only received the Best of Show award, but the Mayor's Choice award as well.