February 15, 2006
Wednesday

Ketchikan, Alaska - And the winner is... Pink Lemonade! And we aren't talking about a beverage but rather the Best of Show Winner in the 15th Annual "Quilting in the Rain" Show presented by the Rainy Day Quilters. There's plenty more news about the winners at the end of the story but first a little bit about the Rainy Day Quilters themselves.

Quilt Diva Best Machine Quilted - owned by Barb Milner Made by Dena Dena Minicucci

The Rainy Day Quilters were established in 1988 and currently have about 85 members and are always ready to welcome newcomers. The purpose and goals of Rainy Day Quilters are:

• to promote cooperation and exchange of ideas among those interested in or engaging in quilt making.
• to instruct members in methods and techniques and to inspire personal achievement.
• to encourage and maintain high standards of design and technique in quilt making.

If you don't think that a quilting club can be altruistic, think again. The members have a community service program that would rival any local charitable organization. After Hurricane Katrina, the club members stitched 78 quilts and had them sent to the storm ravaged South.

Closer to home, the club has crafted quilts for many community members that have suffered a loss from a house fire or live-aboard boat fire, including a more recent devastating fire at a local trailer park.

The quilting club certainly wouldn't forget the children in the community as they donate cheerfully designed quilts to any child in the care of the Department of Social Services so the child who may have nothing more than the clothes they are wearing, will have something to hold on to and call their own.

Any new mother that has ever stayed at Rotary House with their newborn has also been a recipient of a beautifully crafted baby quilt from club members.

Occasionally the need arises for something other than a quilt and the ladies are ready and able to fill the need. The Pioneers Home is just one more group that benefits from our industrious quilting guild. Designed and handmade by the quilters are the colorful, washable chest aprons that adorn the Pioneer Home residents at mealtime.

Many women and children have used the services of WISH (Women In Safe Homes) through the years and oftentimes they arrive with nothing more than their purse and jackets. The Rainy Day Quilters see to it that everyone that stays at WISH receives their very own colorful print pillowcase. Guests may have to stay in a strange bed but their pillowcase is their very own to keep, and it may be just a tiny ray of sunshine, at an otherwise dark time in their life.

The enterprising women that make up the Rainy Day Quilters work for weeks, months and sometimes years to finish their quilting project and the annual quilt show is a great way for them to show the community their accomplishments.

This past weekend the annual "Quilting in the Rain XV" was held at the Plaza Mall and drew hundreds of spectators. Quilts of all sizes, shapes, colors and methods of construction were on display. Men, women and children weaved their way through the displays to be treated to the creative, colorful and artistic designs of 128 entries.

There were 12 categories of quilts this year and in each of those categories a first place blue ribbon was awarded for the method of quilting, be it hand, machine, tied or professionally quilted. The Best of Show is awarded by five chosen members of the community who select one worthy winner from all the blue ribbon recipients.

This year's blue ribbon winners are:

Miniature Category

104 Vines and Star - Best Hand Quilted - owned and made by Dawn Teune

102 Itty Bitty Baskets and Vines - Best Machine Quilted - owned and made by Kathy VanHorn

Wall Hangings

208 Quilt Diva (photo) - Best Machine Quilted - owned Barb Milner and made by Dena Dena Minicucci

209 Mariner's Compass - Best Hand Quilted - owned and made by Pamela Wilsie

201 Mini Flower Garden (Photo) - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Kathy VanHorn

Baby Quilts

300 - Humpty Dumpty (photo) - Best Hand Quilted - owned by Jennifer Lewis - made by JoanE Kasko

302 A Day At The Beach - Best Machine Quilting - owned and made by Cathy Tillotson

Lap Quilts

402 The Cabin - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Jill Bennett

405 Scrappy Stars (photo) - Best Hand Quilted - owned and made by Marva-Lee Otos

420 Trip Around The World - Best Lap Machine Quilted - owned and made by Dena Minicucci


Bed Size Quilts

500 Stormy Evolution (Photo) - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Kathy VanHorn

501 Butterflies (photo)- Best Tied - owned by Carmen Kasko~made by Joan E Kasko

502 Blooming Nine Patch (Photo) - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Jill Bennett

521 Desert Farewell - Best Bed Machine Quilted - Owned by Edison Azizi - made by Mary Goodwin

Group Quilts

600 Birthday Blocks 2002 (photo) - Best Hand Quilted - owned and made by Madalyn Palensky

601 Pink Lemonade - Best Professionally Quilted also Best of Show - owned and made by Mary Jo Erickson

607 Comfort Quilt (photo) - Best Tied - owned by Judy Madden~made by Rainy Day Quilters

609 Friday Sampler (photo) - Best Machine Quilted - owned by Roxann Byron~made by Friday Freeloaders

Appliqué Quilts

700 Bunnies Thru The Year (Photo) - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Kathy VanHorn

705 Liberty Garden (photo) - Best Hand Quilted - owned by Dick and Judy Madden - made by Judy Madden

Innovative Quilts

800 '95 Mike - Best Professionally Quilted - owned by Tommy G- made by Linda Deal

First Quilts

900 Bonnie's T-Shirt Quilt (Photo) - Best Tied - owned by Bonnie Autrey - made by Joyce Autrey

901 Montana Cartwheel - Best Machine Quilted - owned and made by Karen Nason

902 Colorful Curves - Best Professionally Quilted - owned and made by Lynn Wadley

Table Toppers

1000 Spring Fling (Photo) - Best Hand Quilted - owned and made by Madalyn Palensky

1005 Christmas Tablerunner (Photo) - Best Machine Quilted - owned by Mindy Byron!made by Roxann Byron

Wearable Art

2000 Batik Vest - Best Wearable Art - owned and made by Penny Cusack

Serendipity

3000 Tree Skirt - Best Serendipity


The Rainy Day Quilter's present and past presidents of the guild select one quilter to be the recipient of the Presidents Award. The person selected is one who has given freely of their time and talents to the betterment of the guild. This year there were two recipients of the Presidents Award: Cheri Davis and Nancy Mitchel.

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Ketchikan, Alaska