I don’t know if you’d have enough time to get this done by your show date, but you might want to try. One of the local guilds here made what they call a “Touch-Me Quilt” that they hang at all their shows. It was done so that visitors could touch and examine a quilt and see exactly how all the different parts are made. The guild members made up 16 different blocks, each representing a different technique or style of quilting (pieced, appliqué, set in seams, curves, Seminole, etc). Each of the four borders is also different, as are sections of the binding/finishing edge. The entire right side is left open so visitors can see the inside and on that row the quilt is tied. The paper is even left on one of the paper pieced blocks. It’s a giant sampler, not just of blocks, but of methods, techniques, styles, and quilting.

There have been a lot of positive comments from visitors and the quilt has answered many questions for quilters and non-quilters alike. The monitors frequently take a visitor to this quilt to show them the answer to a question rather than just trying to explain something that cannot really be seen and touched otherwise. Even when it’s not at shows, it helps answer questions that guild members may have. Not all of us know everything about every technique after all! It’s a great group learning project just to make one!

I love the idea of a "touch me" quilt. What a great learning tool.

Awesome suggestion ghostrider!!! :D:D:D

A special Christmas corner is a nice feature, with special pieced ornaments with each member putting her name on one. We set up an artificial tree, at several shows--created good feedback. the old one

I know some of the links to free patterns, can someone please put some on this page for me. I especially like www.fatcatpatterns.com and www.withthreadandneedle.com, Nancy has a bom.

Thanks

If you enter 'free patterns' in the search function you will find a ton of them. Most are under the Links and Resources section of the board. :-D

Another idea for quilt tops is to display all of them on a bed frame (or something rigged up to resemble a bed). At various times during the show, two members can uncover the quilts, one at a time, telling something interesting about the quilt. At our guild, we call this a "bed turning". Good luck with your show!

When our guild has a show, the members bring orphan blocks, and small quilted objects to sell, raffle off a quilt and also bring discarded/unwanted back issues of quilt magazines to either give away or sell for a very small amount.