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LAKEPORT >> Quilting does not fit the old stereotypes anymore. Just ask John Liskey of Kelseyville.
“I love quilting,” Liskey said. “I think it”s fun. I even help my wife with hers.”
Liskey and his wife, Shirley Liskey attended the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild”s 13th annual Falling Leaves Quilt show last Saturday and Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
John Liskey admits he receives a bit of ribbing about his hobby from male friends.
“I don”t give a crap about what anyone else thinks,” he said. “Quilting is tough.”
His wife says he didn”t start quilting until last June but has become a quick learner.
“A few months ago I helped my girlfriend make a quilt for her granddaughter,” she said. “After that, I was hooked. I”ve made seven quilts since April.
She added she was impressed with the quality and detail of the quilts on display at the show.
“Miniature Log Cabin,” a quilt by Marianne Mulheren of Ukiah, took the Best of Show ribbon, a first place blue ribbon and the VIP Choice Award. It was one of the smallest pieces of quilt work on display.
One of the more unusual quilts was “Take Me To Your Leader” by Ruby Cuevas, with a black center block featuring aliens and UFOs. Cuevas considers herself a beginning quilter.
In a note accompanying her quilt, Cuevas wrote, “This was inspired by my son who loves Roswell, New Mexico (crash site of an alien spacecraft in 1947). I used bright colors for attention, no pattern, just kept adding to the quilt.”
One of the several hundred people to attend Saturday”s show was Clara Carstensen, 15, of Finley, a former Quilt Guild member.
“I love quilting,” the petite high school student said. “Too me, quilting is like an art. I”m an artist and this is making art with fabric.”
In Lake County, Carstensen is not likely to find many people who disagree, especially among those who saw the show. The event was held at the fairground”s main hall with the quilts mounted and arranged much like a traditional art display.
The quilts themselves are the stars of the show and each looks like it could be a painting with not only plays on light and color but perfect detail on stitching, pattern and design.
And what goes better with quilting than cats and many of the quilts on display featured felines, including “Cats Abound” by Martha De Leoa who wrote of her quilt, “Just a fun-loving wall hanging. Caught my eye and wanted to make it for my home.”
It received a second place red ribbon. Another quilt was “Cornered” by (appropriately) Kitty Jones that features squares of cats.
A quilt with a local theme is “Konocti Challenge” by Martha De Leon about the annual Lake County bicycle race.
De Leon wrote of the quilt, “This t-shirt quilt was gifted to Jennifer Strong, coordinator of the annual Rotary Konocti Challenge in October. It was a surprise for Jennifer and a pleasure for me to make it for her.”
Show hostess Noreen Westphal called the show very successful. “Everyone that comes in is friendly,” she said.
Westphal, a member of the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild, was asked if men are allowed in the Guild.
After a moment of thought, she responded, “We”re ladies of the lake. We allow gentlemen.”
