New styles overtake tradition as quilting goes high-tech

Double wedding ring and patchwork designs probably won't be in evidence at the 15th annual Silver Springs Quilt Show. Traditional quilts are out, it seems.

Carolyn Susac, 72, an award-winning quilter who will be judging the 15th annual Silver Springs Entertainment and Arts Quilt Show in Silver Springs on Oct. 6, said that art quilts are all the rage, using photo transfers and computer enhanced quilting methods.

"They've just broken out in all directions," she said. "You can do photo transfers, do stuff on your computer and print it onto cloth."

Susac, who has entered quilting shows all over the country, said newer methods are more popular than the traditional.

"There's embroidery, there's thread play where they actually use thousands and thousands of yards of threads and draw their designs," she said. "I think the older traditional look is still there, but they have all these different art quilts and pictorial quilts now."

Susac was the only judge at last year's show, where she said there was a little bit of everything.

"There were really good, really outstanding art quilts in the show," she said.

This year Susac will be assisted in the judging by Linda Graber and Cecil Brown.

The judges aren't the only change from last year; there will be 13 categories this year instead of only three. Susac said it was hard to pick disparate quilts that were in the same category.

She said the visual impact the quilt had brought in the most points, followed by the execution of technique, overall effect, stitching, color, execution of construction, integration of design elements and binding.

"Visual impact is judge first," she said. "You're going to make that decision quick. A quilt is going to be appealing looking or it's not. Then you lay it on a table and look at the stitching and other things."

She said categories are for large and small works, hand and machine sewn, as well as a mixed category, an "other" category that is a catch-all, art quilts and first quilts, for novices.

She said the old-time quilting bee is a thing of the past.

"Everyone is machine quilting now," she said. "It's quicker and there are very good machines out there."

The judges will give the entrants the number of points earned for each judging area, such as visual impact or construction, and there will be comments to help the quilter with future projects.

"I always try to put something positive and the best thing I liked, and something I didn't like," she said. "They're allowing their quilts to be judged so they need to know what happened, and why they didn't get the points. If you are going to pay the money and put the quilt in, you've got to know what the judges are looking for."

Susac said neutral colors are not typical. "Everything goes," she said. "In color, there's no favorite color, there's just a lot of color."

Organizer Emma Sylvester said entries are still open, with the entry fee at $5 for the first quilt and $4 for additional quilts. Prizes range from an airplane ride from Gardnerville to Silver Springs to gift baskets and an antique quilt.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.

Quilt categories

• Miniature quilt - 18 inches or less

• Wall hanging - Appliqué, under 60 inches, hand quilted

• Wall hanging - Appliqué, under 60 inches, machine quilted

• Wall hanging - Pieced, under 60 inches, hand quilted

• Wall hanging - Pieced, under 60 inches, machine quilted

• Mixed - Both appliqué and pieced work, hand or machine quilted, and any size

• Other techniques - Any size or any kind of quilting, including whole cloth, crazy quilts and embroidered quilts.

• Large quilts - Appliqué, 60 inches and over, hand quilted

• Large quilts - Appliqué, 60 inches and over, machine quilted

• Large quilts - Pieced, 60 inches and over, hand quilted

• Large quilts - Pieced, 60 inches and over, machine quilted

• Art quilts - Any size or technique

• First quilts - First-timers award

If you go

WHAT: 15th annual Silver Springs Entertainment and Arts Quilt Show

WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 6 and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 7

WHERE: Silver Springs Senior Center, 2945 Fort Churchill Road, Silver Springs

ENTRY FEE: $5 for one; $4 for any additional quilts. Must enter by Oct. 4.

CALL: Emma Sylvester at 577-2588, or e-mail Hub22811@aol.com.