National Quilt Show finalists on display in Scottdale
Going from the white of the polar bear to the dark of the black bear, Fay Pritts created a color spectrum of bears in the quilt that made her a finalist in the 2001 National Quilt Show now on display at West Overton Museums in Scottdale. The Prittstown resident produced one of the 18 quilts that comprise this show, sponsored by the American Quilter’s Society from Paducah, Ky. This is the fourth year that West Overton has acquired the show, which travels for two years. West Overton is the last stop for the 2001 winners and the show will be disbanded after it leaves West Overton.
“It’s been received fairly well, but we would like to see more visitors,’ said Rodney Sturtz, executive director of West Overton. “…These are 18 of the very best of this pattern in the United States.’
This show’s theme is “Bear Paw Quilts,’ hence Pritts’ clever use of pictures of bears in addition to the traditional pattern, which is shaped like a series of pointed triangles that resemble a bear paw.
The Pritts quilt goes from white to dark in color as it also displays pictures of a polar bear, grizzly bear, brown bear and black bear. The pictures are surrounded by the bear paw pattern. This quilt is appropriately called “Bear Country.’
Pritts was unavailable for comment, but the show’s program book reported that Pritts made her first quilt in 1974, learning to quilt from her grandmother. She had made 103 quilts at the time she entered “Bear Country’ in the show.
Sturtz noted that Mrs. Pritts usually quilts with her husband, Merl, and that they usually enter quilts in West Overton’s own quilt show, held each spring. He noted the couple won Best of Show in West Overton’s last show as well as a prize in the Paducah show. Sturtz said usually the West Overton and national quilt shows are displayed at West Overton Museums at the same time – from late May through early July – but this year the national show wasn’t available until October.
The national show is prestigious, with Pritts being the only Pennsylvania resident in the exhibit. The other quilters come from Louisiana, Kansas, Texas, California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington, Colorado, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Idaho and Oregon while the first place winner came from Duluth, Minn.
Claudia Clark Myers took first place with her quilt called “Wild and Wooly,’ made of curved block construction which reveals layers and layers of bear paws.
“See how sneaky this is,’ said Sturtz, revealing the bear paws in Myers’ quilt. “Here’s more and here’s more. They’re layered in such a way that they pop out at you.’
There are other quilts in which the bear paw pattern also appears hidden and yet there are some where the pattern is obvious. Many of these quilts carry the bear theme in their title: “Pointed Paws,’ “The Bear and The Boy – I Spy the Disappearing Bear Paw,’ “Goldenblocks and the Three Bears,’ “Lone Bear,’ “Bears Examination,’ “Bear’s Pause,’ “Bear Necessity,’ “Sun Paw’ and Brown Bear.’
“Bear’s Pause’ is a picture of an interrupted camp scene, including a campfire, upturned chairs and scattered food. The scene includes bear paws. “Sun Paw’ makes use of a bright red sun. “Investment Journey’ is a path laden with American dollars on the way to the skyline of a city. An upright bull is walking the path amid a scattering of bear paws while quilters sit at a table putting this all together.
Sturtz explained the idea is to create a quilt using a time-honored pattern. In this case, the bear paw pattern, which Sturtz said has been around for 160 years.
The quilts are beautiful, often sophisticated in design and comforting in its appearance. But quilts also have a history as part of the Underground Railroad, Sturtz explained.
“The concept is that they were messages hidden in plain view,’ said Sturtz. “Abolitionists would hang quilts out to air and the slaves were taught to read the quilts. It was like a language. When the bear paw was out, it meant stay off the main road and follow the paths. When the bow tie pattern was out, it would tell the slaves to change their clothes. It was a rather sophisticated language.’
Asked why people continue to appreciate quilts today, Sturtz said, “People are attracted to the colors, the complexity of the designs and they have an appreciation for the amount of hours that went into – not just doing it, but creating it. Somebody had to have the idea. Then they had to go into the fabric shops and hunt the material.’
Sturtz said that, collectively, the quilters have thousands of hours spent in creating their pieces. And the results are outstanding.
Said Sturtz, “They are quilts as well as works of art.’
The National Quilt Show is on display through Nov. 3 at West Overton Museums, located along Route 819 in Scottdale. Admission is $6. West Overton Museums is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, phone 724-887-7910.