Quilters have the Valley covered

To the editor:

The Colony Days Quilt Walk, a display of locally crafted quilts by members of the Valley Quilters Guild, was a delightful success this year. Quilts were featured at 16 shops around Palmer, including Flowers By Louise, Cover Ups, Raven Hair Studios, Silver Tip Design, Just Sew, NonEssentials, Fireside Books, Vagabond Blues, Side Kicks, B-Bella Hair Design, Hot Hot Chocolate Shop, Shane Lamb Studios, Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary, Czar of Guitars, Madd Matters and Valley Hotel.

Entrants for the walk picked up a postcard at one of the shops, then visited at least 12 shops to get cards stamped for the prize drawing. A quilt was the prize, of course, and this year’s winner was Marilyn King of Wasilla. She took home “Wine Country,” a quilt fashioned and donated by Heather Griffin.

Entrants voted for their favorites, with the Viewer’s Choice awarded to Shirley Heintzman for her landscape quilt displayed at Shane Lamb Studios. The runner-up was a quilt entitled “OoLaLa,” owned by Marcia Healey, which was shown at B-Bella Hair Designs.

All of the quilts were made by members of the Valley Quilters Guild, a nonprofit organization that donates some 200 quilts a year to local organizations that help people in need, such as The Family Shelter, teen shelters, pregnancy centers, local police and state troopers and those with the misfortune of losing their homes to fire. Members also make colorful wheelchair and walker bags for the local senior centers. Naturally, a bit of fun is included in guild meetings, with members learning new quilting techniques and sponsoring classes on the many aspects of making quilts.

If you missed this year’s Quilt Walk and would like another chance to see these and other beautiful quilts, don’t miss the Alaska State Fair this August.

Lynn Gronlund

Valley Quilters Guild

Wasilla