On Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a cornucopia of quilts will be displayed at the Mountain Farm Museum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as quilting guilds from the region come together and offer the public a feast for their eyes. The local Tuesday Quilters of Sylva (N.C.), a society that preserves heirloom quilt patterns, is coordinating the exhibitors.

Quilting has been a regional tradition since European settlers arrived in the region. This rich tradition of quilting and its history will be showcased through the patterns on the displayed quilts and the quilters who will be displaying their work.

According to A People and Their Quilts by John Rice Irwin, founder of the Museum of Appalachia, “One of the areas in America where old time quilting never altogether ceased was Southern Appalachia.” Park Ranger Lynda Doucette, explained that “The process of quilting generally meant to join a top and bottom piece of material with a loose filling between. These pieces are stitched together to hold the air warmed by body heat. It is the creative arrangement of these multi-colored pieced tops and the types of stitches holding the layers together that bridges the past with the present.”

“The event will celebrate a preserved art that continues in this area today,” continued Doucette. “We hope the public will enjoy the exhibition and even share their stories and knowledge of quilting with the demonstrators and other quilt enthusiasts.”

The Mountain Farm Museum is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), 2 miles north of Cherokee, N.C. For information concerning the event, call the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at 828/497-1904.