“Norma” by Clarice Dean (Representational)

Desert Quilters

Keeping Nevada in Stitches

BY KENDALL HARDIN / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DESERT QUILTERS OF NEVADA

Desert Quilters of Nevada (DQN), the first and largest quilt guild in Southern Nevada, was formed to promote, encourage and preserve the art of quilt-making by developing an appreciation for fine quilts. It sponsors and supports quilting activities, teaching techniques, the history of quilting and the future of modern quilt expressions.

Stitching Together a Patchwork for the Future

DQN was a dream of Nancy Walters of Las Vegas and Alice Godwin of Boulder City. Groups of quilters had been meeting informally in small sewing circles for years. DQN was organized to share quilting ideas, methods and experiences with other quilters. The goal was to expand on these ideas and to grow throughout the state of Nevada. An admirable side effect of the guild has been to help the unfortunate and support our country’s men and women serving in the military.

Although women had been meeting in quilt groups since 1985, DQN was formed in 1986 and elected Godwin as its first president.

Monthly quilt meetings were set for Las Vegas and Boulder City, with $1.50 per quarter dues and an active newsletter. By the end of 1986, there were 75 quilters in seven active circles. The club created quilt squares and “raffle quilts” to raise funds for the guild, as well as a 16-foot quilt for the play “The Quilter” presented by theatre students at UNLV.

Today’s Desert Quilters 40 Years Later

Today, the guild has more than 470 members from 14 states. DQN’s quilters attract all age groups, with some of its illustrious members in their 90s! The nonprofit organization has drawn from its own creative artisans and world-renowned practitioners to teach innovative and time-tested quilting tips and ideas.

Among DQN’s members are established pattern makers, book writers and quilters who travel around the country to teach and mentor. Many of its master quilters have been profiled in national publications. Their exquisite creations have garnered top awards in prestigious national and regional quilt shows and Las Vegas at the guild’s annual quilt show in March.

DQN members have quilted for their families, friends, church groups and those serving in the armed forces, as well as their four-legged friends, homeless folks, street teens, cancer patients and hospital babies. Rarely do they finish one project without another one or two projects waiting in the wings.

In addition to many charity quilt projects, the organization supports the Quilts of Valor local chapter, which honors all military men and women who have served our country and their family members as an exemplary, ongoing community service project.

Today, the DQN guild includes not just quilters. It also welcomes jewelry makers, clay modelers, doll makers, basket weavers and contemporary artists who teach us that anything can be used in extraordinary fiber artwork.

“Many of us have watched as the guild grew exponentially,” cited Jeanne Spala, the guild’s current president. “Desert Quilters is a gathering place to make lifelong friends while making, admiring and enjoying quilts and fiber art creations. DQN provides a comfortable home for extraordinary artisans and crafters to share their love for an art form that has withstood the ages.”

Celebrating Traditions and Accomplishments

DQN’s mission is to promote and preserve the art of quilting, patchwork, applique and related fiber arts. To that end, the guild sponsors workshops, displays, projects and opportunities for individuals to meet and exchange ideas about quilting and fiber arts.

The first three presidents were founding members, including Godwin, Maxine James and Ann Pugh. Since its origin, 24 presidents have presided over DQN’s four decades of evolution. Among the guild’s many offerings are:

• Circles – small quilter groups throughout the Las Vegas Valley, like the Boulder City Cut-Ups, Finishing Stitches and Loose Threads, who congregate every month
• National and International Quilter Visits – like the recent lectures and workshops with Australian Lisa Mattock (“Slow Stitching”) and Californian Jean Impey (“The Magic of Fabulous Faces”)
• Day Trips – like the Road2California spring bus trip to visit the Quilter’s Conference & Showcase in Ontario
• Let’s Learn – a new series of workshops taught by DQN members for members to create together and forge new friendships
• DQN Marketplace – the guild’s online source for sale and free items (from sewing machines to long-arm quilting service), as well as the go-to spot for quilting referrals
• DQN Sew Days – with open sew days and workshops for youths and adults at local fabric stores and Enterprise Library
  Annual Quilt Exhibition – showcasing 200 judged and 50 non-judged quilts, all by local DQN members

DQN members have established a stellar reputation, capturing top awards in such prestigious shows as the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) QuiltWeek, QuiltCon, the Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) in Santa Clara and the International Quilt Festival in Houston, the largest competition in the country.

Anniversary Celebrations: DQN’s Event Theme of the Year

Warning: If we’re not careful to preserve the techniques of our forebearers, quilting may become a lost art.

DQN’s annual quilt show aims to solve the “lost” part of that warning and boldly emphasize the “art” aspect, as sewers display some 250 of their best works. Showcasing quilting styles from around the globe, the quilts on display demonstrate the finest local instances of expression through fabric, thread and embellishment—a stunning, inspiring exhibition of skill and creativity.

This year’s show highlights select pieces for sale, alongside a special “40th Anniversary Overview” of the quilting genre for those new to the art form—to inspire artists of all ages to fabricate their own future show entries. For a nominal fee, attendees can win one of many baskets created for hands-on sewers and crafters.

Cindy Erickson, a certified quilt judge, will adjudicate this year’s “Anniversary Celebrations” exhibition, surrounded by vendors assembled to demonstrate traditional and state-of-the-art materials and equipment. Local food trucks will provide tasty refreshments and libations for everyone in the crowd. So don’t miss this extraordinary event, “where all the pieces magically come together!”

Desert Quilters 40th Anniversary Show

March 21: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March 22: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Whitney Ranch Recreation Center
1575 Galleria Drive
Henderson, NV 89014

For more information on DQN or to purchase tickets for the anniversary show, visit www.dqnv.org.