Sew cool: Quilting is more than ‘grandma’s little hobby’ at biennial Hands Across the Valley Quilt Guild show, May 3 and 4

Hands Across the Valley Quilt Guild, an Amherst-based quilting group, will have its biennial show on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hampshire College’s Robert Crown Center Gymnasium. The show will feature more than 200 quilts by local quilters.

One element of quilting that the event aims to showcase is how the art form itself has changed over time.

“Quilting has evolved from the fussy, fusty image some still hold of it — tepid, old-fashioned bed coverings,” a press release from Hands Across the Valley said. “Today’s quilts feature colorful and often bold designs, whether they are mosaic-like realistic portraits in fabric or abstract designs.”

Indeed, plenty of the quilts featured in this year’s show are nontraditional. Ann Feitelson’s “Party in the Cupboard” features a funky, vibrant spectrum of teacups laid overtop a red gradient. Elizabeth Iola Sylvan’s “Peony #1” is a striking closeup of a peony, complete with highlights and shadows that give it a photorealistic look. An unnamed quilt by Melanie Dean features the head of a lion in a modern polygonal style. Another unnamed quilt by Tracy Whelan is a stark image of a hurricane’s spiral, seen from above.

Emily Weir, vice president for communications at Hands Across the Valley, said in an email: “Quilters in our guild and elsewhere support one another’s creativity with a ‘there is no single correct way to make a quilt’ approach. Quilters have, for example, made gorgeous things out of unlikely materials — the thick side seams from blue jeans or the edges of purchased fabric that were once thrown away. The work of ‘modern’ quilters celebrates new trends, such as making creative use of negative space, bold colors, and using solids instead of print fabric.”

Of course, that’s not to say the show won’t include quilts with more traditional designs, but it won’t be limited to them.

Local quilter Timna Tarr, who often works in a pictorial quilting style, said the reason that quilting’s evolution has been overlooked is because quilting itself is considered “women’s work.”

Quilts, she said, are something “that women have been making forever and ever. Even though it’s not only women, it’s a tradition that’s passed down between women, and I love that. On the flip side, the fact is, women’s work doesn’t get the respect it deserves as an art form.”

Even so, group members said, quilting has been a great way to connect with other female creatives in the Valley, both in the group and at the shows. Quilt show co-chair Gloria Carver said, “Going to a quilt show, for me, is like going to a circus for someone else,” in that it gives her inspiration for her own work and allows her to see what others in the field are doing.

“That’s really the bottom line for me,” she said, “that people have this desire to create something from their own background, from their own feelings.

“I just love the energy that comes off of the quilt show,” she added. “So many people are coming to see some beautiful artwork and some beautiful craftsmanship, and the vibes of the people attending are just fabulous.”

Of course, the community-building element extends beyond just connecting other quilters: as part of their ongoing work throughout the year, Hands Across the Valley members make and donate quilts to a number of local organizations, including the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, Alianza Women’s Shelter in Holyoke and Montague Catholic School Ministries in Turners Falls, among others. Many of those, Weir said, are made of upcycled or donated fabric.

At the same time, a few group members noted that quilting is also a big business: a 2024 report from the Craft Industry Alliance predicted that quilting is expected to generate $5 billion in sales in 2027.

“Quilting is not what we used to think of as grandma’s little hobby,” said Carver. “It’s grown quite considerably.”

The May 3 and 4 event will also include raffle baskets for charity; textile-related vendors; live quilt appraisals; a raffle quilt, which will benefit Hands Across the Valley and local charities; a mini-quilt sale; and a mini-exhibit from the New England Quilt Museum’s collection, “From Lobstah to Green Monstah: What’s Best About New England.” Hands Across the Valley members will also hold demonstrations for quilters of all skill levels.

Admission to the Hands Across the Valley quilt show is $10 for adults, $5 for students and active military with ID, and free for children 12 and under when accompanied by a paid attendee. For more information about the show or Hands Across the Valley, visit handsacrossthevalley.org/quilt-show.

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Carolyn Brown can be reached at [email protected].