Connecting with Our Roots to Sew a Brighter FutureHandcrafted Weekend Set for April 12-13

Connecting with Our Roots to Sew a Brighter Future

Handcrafted Weekend Set for April 12-13

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

The traditional arts have always been a large part of Appalachian culture. So many of us have run our fingers over our grandmother’s stitches on our quilts or placed our keys in a basket woven by our ancestors. The traditional arts are the fabric of Eastern Kentucky, and a chance to experience these arts firsthand is coming in just a few weeks at the Handcrafted Weekend at Greenbo State Resort Park.

An extension of the annual Greenup County Quilt Show, Handcrafted Weekend will feature over 100 quilts from various artists in and around Greenup County, alongside vendors and 21 artisans demonstrating anything from metalworking to fiber arts.

Anne Stephens is the Community Arts and Development Greenup Extension Agent with over 15 years of experience. About three years ago, Stephens began working with the Greenup County Quilt Guild to extend their annual quilt show to include demonstrations and performances for the public. With the beautiful backdrop of Greenbo State Resort Park, they knew it was time to make the idea of extending into the rest of the lodge and focusing on promoting and introducing the public to heritage arts a reality.

“Three years ago, I believe, we started talking about what it would look like if we were to continue the quilt show and were able to grow the quilt show. [We wanted] the quilt show to become a component of a larger event that featured more of those heritage art skills and things that are a part of our community cultural heritage,” expressed Stephens.

With this in mind, the idea of the Handcrafted Weekend was born, all circling around the beautiful quilts crafted by the Greenup County Quilt Guild. Now, while you are enjoying the artistry of these quilts, you can demo traditional arts at the artisans' booths. Artisans will be set up with a booth advertising their wares, as well as a demonstration area where you can try your hand at learning these traditional arts.

“I love to see it grow. We have some artisans that have been there for the past couple of years that are returning this year and they’re excited to come back. We always make sure to bring in somebody new every year, so if you were at Handcrafted Weekend last year, you might see some of the same things that may have been your favorite, but when you come back the next year, you’re always going to experience something new,” detailed Stephens.

Carole Hunt, an experienced quilter, member of the Greenup County Quilt Guild for around four years, and chair of Handcrafted Weekend, has worked closely with the extension office to help this event come about.

“We’re really trying to work together to make the best of everything to get people drawn in for the quilt show and for the vendors that will be upstairs for Handcrafted Weekend,” detailed Hunt. Hunt comes from a long line of sewers, as her grandmother worked at Harmon’s Men’s Clothing in Ironton, Ohio, and at the Cinderella Dress Factory in Ashland, Kentucky, as a seamstress. Her mother later worked at Harmon’s Men’s Clothing as well, and Hunt soon found a similar passion for sewing, her favorite being those of Adventure Quilts.

“We call them adventure quilts. We find a pattern that's quick and that's fun, and we use bright colors, and we make a quilt, and we put ties on it so that you can roll it up and tie it shut, throw it in the back of the car, and you take it to the ball game, or you take it for a picnic, or you take it when you're camping, and it's one that we want to have rips and tears in it so that they'll represent memories over the years. That's the type of quilting that I love to do,” detailed Hunt. “There is a little bit of everything in our group, and that’s what I enjoy.”

Adventure quilts are just one example of the various quilts that you might see on display alongside the artisans. Vendors particularly for quilters will also be in attendance, including Tara from Best Friends, Fabric & More, Jenny’s Quilts, Evelyn from Quilt Heaven in Grayson, Quilter’s Candy Shop from Morehead, and Emilee Davis from Sew There in Minford, Ohio.

The evenings will also feature entertainment, with a puppet show on Saturday evening and a dulcimer concert on Sunday. “Both of those things are free, so it's a way to give families interesting and educational fun. You wrap all those things together, and you have a fun day close to home,” commented Stephens. There will also be raffle tickets for sale for a raffle quilt sewn by the members of the Greenup County Quilt Guild and with appliqué done by the club’s president.

Overall, Handcrafted Weekend is sure to speak to the artist in all of us, while bringing us just a bit closer to our roots. The Greenup County Quilt Guild is currently still open for quilt submissions, and a link to this process can be found online. To get a sneak peek at the classes and events of the weekend, check out the Handcrafted Weekend Facebook page.