Ad
There were more than quilts on display at this year’s county fair. The show also highlighted the bonds between grandmothers, their granddaughters and the tradition of quilt-making being passed down through generations.
Nine-year-old Morgan Dotson worked for weeks with her grandmother, Nancy Dotson, making her first quilt. Morgan admits she was nervous about being judged at the show, but she came out on top with first place and best of show.
Nancy Dotson, affectionately known as Nana, told Morgan that she had natural talent and was very proud of her.
Morgan’s advice for young people interested in quilting, “Have some adult supervision; if not, just try not to poke yourself.”
Morgan enjoyed learning and spending time with her Nana and plans on going big with a king-sized quilt for her next project.
Jessie Otero, 33, is also new to quilting; she learned from her long-time quilting grandmother, Sue Dunn.
“She started teaching me during the pandemic while everything was shut down,” Otero said
It wasn’t long until she found herself hand stitching a full-sized quilt.
“I guess it’s in my blood,” Otero said. “Piecing it together was pretty fast, but stitching takes me a long time. I have a little hoop, and I sit on my couch at night so while I watch TV it’s really nice. Because you have a blanket, you’re nice and warm.”
Deb Card, organizer, said this year 46 entries were submitted for the quilt show along with a special section of antique and vintage quilts on display.
Ad
Categories included hand-quilted, machine-quilted, and computer-quilted entries, broken down by age. Antique and vintage quilts, defined as over 100 and pre-1970, respectively, were displayed along with a narrative of their history. The show also included a round-robin quilt made by a team and a special section for donated quilts. Also highlighted in the show was local artist Leon Myler’s design, which was used for a quilt made by a group of quilters that will be donated to the Bosque del Apache to be raffled off.
