The Hill Country Quilting Guild has enlisted the help of Pint and Plow's Jeremy and Maia Walther to judge the quilts for the long-delayed winter show
Jeremy and Maia Walther wandered through the aromatic Hill Country Youth Event Center — fresh off a three-day swine show — to take in more than 200 quilts on Wednesday afternoon. This was no sight-seeing adventure for the couple, this was serious business — the business of judging Jeremy Walther's favorite quilt.
Yes, Walther, the owner of Kerrville's Pint and Plow and the Trailhead Beer Garden, was trying his best to sort through the quilts that are part of the Hill Country Quilting Guild's winter show: "Along the Silk Road."
Maia and Jeremy Walther marveled at some of the whimsy in the quilts.
They also took their judging very seriously for Friday's quilt show at the Hill Country Youth Event Center.
The show begins its two-day run on Friday and is bound to attract a big audience. The show features works from all over the Hill Country. There are big pieces, small pieces, some with narrative, many with whimsy and almost all will make you stop and wonder.
"We have some of the best art quilters in Texas, here in the Kerrville area," said Rebecca Peterson, the guild's president. "We have members in our guild who have been invited to participate and show in the International Quilt Festival."
So, Peterson is making it clear — this is a serious show.
On Wednesday, the massive show was laid out in the Happy State Expo Hall — making the room feel small. Some quilts can reach 8-9 feet from their hanging mounts. One is 12-feet-by-12-feet. It's an impressive effort to see the volunteers hanging.
One of the things Rebecca Peterson and her team stress is this jot just a group of "little old ladies." In a press release, the guild said it's a diverse group of women, including nurses, educators, professionals, construction managers and military veterans.
However, this is a show that's also about connection. COVID-19 halted the 2020 show and then postponed the 2021 show. The 2022 show features vendors, demonstrations, beer and white-glove ladies who will show you the back of a quilt. If there's one rule of quilt appreciation, don't touch the quilt. Ask the white-gloved ladies to show you the back of the quilt; otherwise, keep your mitts off.
Jeremy and Maia Walther obeyed that rule as they wandered through the rows of quilts. Which one did they pick as their favorite — ala the celebrity winner? You'll have to attend the quilt show on Friday to find out. The doors open at 9 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday, and the show closes each day at 5 p.m.
Take a sneak peek at the quilt show: https://thekerrcountyleadphotography.zenfoliosite.com/zg/sneak-peek-of-the-2022-hill-country-quilting-guild-show
