LOWER LAKE — Weavers, spinners, quilters and textile artists were welcomed Saturday as participants of the annual “Quilt and Textile Exhibition” at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum. This year”s exhibition, which will run through Aug. 28, enjoys the addition of pieces by Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild as well as a display entitled “Quilts for Wounded Warriors.”
Also returning for this year”s show are the Clear Lake Quilt Guild, Sheep Thrills Spinning and Weaving Guild and weaver Shelia O”Hara and her students.
A variety of themes are represented within the show with quilts crafted in colorful children”s patterns, those made in autumn and spring colors and others pieced in red, white and blue. A couple among the Quilts for Wounded Warriors display, feature a Bald Eagle.
One colorful piece on display incorporates weaving and quilting techniques and includes the participation of three generations of crafters. Ellen Hardenburger said she made the hand-woven piece of the quilt, which matches her set of hand-woven curtains, while her mother, Mary Marion, took the piece and centered it amid the handcrafted quilt. Hardenbarger said the decorative flowers on the quilt were made by her niece, Kristina Lee. “This was truly a family project,” she said.
Another piece in the show was identified as quilt typical of crafts of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The quilt, which was made in 1933, features a fan pattern made of cast-off clothing and the white fabric of the quilt, is made from flour, sugar and feed sacks.
The exhibit also features an antique Pennsylvania Dutch flax spinning wheel, circa 1807. The wheel is constructed of oak and maple and features elk antler and leather bushings, which were lubricated with bear grease. The wheel came to Lake County in poor condition in 1882. It was restored in 2006 by Ron Antoine of Amity, OR. It is now capable of spinning both flax and wool.
The Quilts for Wounded Warriors display hosts a variety of patterns, from hearts and stars to stripes and eagles crafted by Ladies of the Lake Quilters Guild. The display will be featured at the upcoming Lake County Fair. “As soon as these come down, they are going to Travis Air Force Base and back east,” Deborah Miller said. “The soldiers will get to pick out which one they want and take them home. We have about 20 quilts ready to go.”
Participating weavers include O”Hara and her students Sylvia Anderson, Suzanne Britz, Janis Eckert, Hardenburger, Hana Musgrove, Nancy Nestegard, Pam Perry and Lorna Pochman-McEntire. Participating quilters include Marlene Brudvig, Wilma Star, Jane Alameda, Kerrie Hershey, Marj Sweeney, Judy Nodine, JoAnn Andersen, Ruth Brower, Betty Upchurch, Clear Lake and Ladies of the Lake quilt guilds and Broadway Baptist Quilters, of San Pablo.
Members of Sheep Thrills Spinning and Weaving Guild in attendance at Saturday”s artist reception included Michele Basso, Nestegard, Ellen Lundquist and Lois Schaer.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee and will run through Aug. 2 the annual ?Quilt and Textile Exhibition” at the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum 8. Guests are invited to view the exhibit during regular museum hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call directly at 994-6444, ext. 14.
