Visit Montana This Summer and See a Great Quilt Show

Picture this: You're driving on a highway near a city in Montana. Suddenly, the traffic in front of you comes to a stop. Looking ahead, you see a long line of cars from both directions. There are people directing traffic and the focal point seems to be the entrance to a farmyard. You finally get to a point where you can look down the lane toward the farm buildings. Off to one side is a large field where hundreds of cars are parked or are in the process of being parked. As you get a better look at the buildings, you see that they appear to be covered with colorful hangings. A sign at the entrance to the farm says, "Quilting in the Country." There's a name, "Jane Quinn," and an address. What you've stumbled across is the annual outdoor quilt show sponsored by "Quilting in the Country."

Background About the Show. I don't know how common outdoor quilt shows are, but I attended one three years ago with my wife. It was held in the beautiful setting of rural Bozeman, Montana, with mountains in the background and wildflowers in the foreground. My wife's cousin, Jane Quinn, owns and operates a quilt store on what used to be a working ranch near Bozeman. She and her husband bought the buildings and several acres of the land years ago and, over time, converted some of the buildings into shops where Jane operates her business, "Quilting in the Country." She and her husband also live on the property.

One year, Jane decided to put on an outdoor quilt show. On August 25, 2007, the 15th consecutive outdoor quilt show sponsored by "Quilting in the Country" will take place. Last year, about 5000 people attended the show and viewed about 500 quilts. The quilts are hung from buildings, fences, and clotheslines. Early on the day of the show, a team of volunteers gathers at the ranch and hangs the quilts. Because the quilts are put up using clothespins and clamps, they are not damaged and can be viewed easily.

Our Involvement with the Show. My wife and I had never seen the show. In 2004, we finally decided that it was now or never, especially since Jane had warned us that she was getting older and would not be doing this forever. We planned a western vacation that included Devils Tower, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons, Mount Rushmore, and other points of interest, as well as the "Quilting in the Country" Outdoor Quilt Show.

We arrived a couple of days early and got involved in the pre-show preparations. There was cutting and raking of weeds and grass, getting out the clothespins and clamps used for hanging the quilts, assembling tents (for sales booths), putting up guidelines in the parking area, and doing kitchen work. Classes are held the day before the show for people who are interested in learning different aspects of quilting. Jane brings in experienced quilters to teach the classes.

The Day of the Show. On the morning of the show, we got to the ranch about 7:00 a.m., and helped with hanging the quilts and putting up the tents and taking care of other jobs. Before long, the crowd began to arrive. Soon the grounds were filled with people carrying brochures describing the display quilts and examining the quilts themselves. The grounds turned into a riot of colors, a beautiful display of human creativity that had to be seen to be appreciated. In addition to the quilts, visitors could browse in the "Quilting in the Country" shops and buy patterns and material for their own quilting. Vendors also had booths set up where they sold a variety of products such as prints and other artwork, novelty items, quilts, and items associated with quilting.

The quilt show is not a contest, and the quilts are not for sale. Prizes are not awarded. The quilts are simply on display for the enjoyment and education of the viewers.

People often ask about the weather in connection with an outdoor quilt show. Over the years of the show, weather has rarely been a problem. In case rain threatens, the quilts can be taken down quickly.

When the time arrived for the show to end, someone blew a whistle, and the same crew that had hung the quilts took them down. The quilts were sorted and people reclaimed the ones they had brought to the show. The workers enjoyed an outdoor meal and, later, a slide show of quilt show pictures taken by two of the volunteers.

If you're going to be in Montana the summer of 2007, and you enjoy quilts, you might want to stop at "Quilting in the Country" on August 25. For full details about the outdoor quilt show and about "Quilting in the Country" itself, check out the "Quilting in the Country" website. If you haven't decided which year you plan to attend, don't put it off too much longer. Remember, Jane is getting older and she won't be doing this forever!

Source:

For more information and pictures, go to:
www.quiltinginthecountry.com/