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Shipshewana To Host Thousands at Quilt Festival

Nationally Recognized Speaker, Quilt & Vendor Show, Workshops, Shop Hop, & Area Activities

Shipshewana, IN -

Four full days. Wednesday through Saturday, June 23-26, 2010
Second annual Shipshewana Quilt Festival

Largest annual event in Shipshewana, and the largest quilting event in the region.
Several thousands of attendees expected.

“We're expecting a large turnout this year, with at least 2,000 attendees. Whether you just love to look at quilts, or if you're an avid quilter, you'll find many activities in town,” shared Beth Thornburg, executive director of the LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Featured Speaker, Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day

Thirty years ago Eleanor Burns introduced her first “Quilt in a Day” book, beginning a quilt making revolution. Her concise, step-by-step directions were easy to grasp, allowing anyone to be successful at making a quilt. Eleanor Burns gave quilt makers techniques that compacted months into merely a day, a quilt in a day.

Eleanor is a prolific author, revered teacher trainer, popular television personality, and celebrated industry role model. She has authored over eighty additional books, trained thousands of instructors throughout the world and pioneered the way people view quilt making with her television series, Quilt in a Day, which began airing on PBS in 1990 and is still broadcasting nationwide and abroad.

In addition to receiving numerous industry awards, she has developed her own fabric lines and several special edition sewing machines.

“Quilt Blocks on American Barns” presentation.

Join our favorite farmer’s daughter, Eleanor Burns, as she pays tribute to rural America’s Barn Quilt Blocks. Today, there are numerous Barn Quilt Trails all over farmland USA. Learn a variety of new techniques as Eleanor demonstrates how to make several pieced barn blocks, each with a miniature quilt block pattern. Corn & Beans, Flying Kite, and Pinwheel are just a few of the block techniques she will show. Three presentations will be hosted at the Blue Gate Theater. Wednesday June 23 at 10 am and 2 pm, and Thursday June 24 at 10am. Pre-registration required. $25 admission.

“Peaceful Valley Workshops”

Eleanor will also be teaching workshops on Friday June 25 at 9 am and 2 pm at the Farmstead Inn and Conference Center. Join Eleanor for a delightful three-hour hand’s on quilting class. Learn new techniques as you construct your own Gambrel Barn featuring a quilt block on the front! This project is featured in Eleanor's new book "Quilt Blocks on American Barns". $50 workshop fee. Pre-registration is required.

Quilt and Vendor Show

Due to last year's popularity, this event has moved to the large Shipshewana Town Center. Over 15 vendors from top quality merchants as far away as Pennsylvania and Missouri. View the juried show, chosen from over 150 entries. Best of Show will receive a Bernina sewing machine worth $1,200. Daily admission $6 per person. Event admission $9 per person. Children 10 and under free with paid admission. Show hours: June 23, 2-6p. June 24 and 25, 9am-6pm. June 26, 9am-4pm. Does not require pre-registration.

Quilter's Schoolhouse

This is an adventurous endeavor, with 16 different classes, each having 8 sessions, throughout the day on Thursday June 24. Participants will learn about new tools and techniques, presented by a variety of educators, including Penny Haren, Karen Montgomery and Moda. Pre-registration is required. $38 admission includes a gourmet box lunch and entrance to your choice of 128 sessions.

Workshops

A vast variety of workshops are available Wednesday June 23 through Friday June 25. Workshops will show how to make lap quilts, appliqué blocks, pieced borders, Moda Fabrics, wall quilts, placemats, child-sized throws, and mixed media quilts. Several lectures are offered Thursday evening, including Doris Goins speaking on entering quilt challenges and Shipshewana's own Rebecca Haarer, who will share her trunk show and lecture of vintage quilts of the Indiana Amish. Due to limited quantities, workshop enrollment must be completed by phone. Call 877-768-1945 Monday-Saturday 9am – 5:30 pm to enroll.

Shop Hop

With over 100 stores in the downtown area alone, Shipshewana is well-known for it's quality shopping opportunities. Join the Shipshewana Backroads Shop Hop which is offered only during the festival. Start by picking up a Shop Hop Passport and Tote for a $5 entry fee, then “hop” to the 8 participating shops and the Topeka Quilt Show. Hoppers will pick up a free quilt pattern at each stop, qualify for specials, and be registered for prizes. This year's theme is “Amazing Baskets.” This year's stops are sprinkled about the back roads, all within a 30-mile radius of Shipshewana.

Special Show Exhibit

The Pathways Quilts from last year's festival Shop Hop shops will be on display at the Quilt and Vendor show. Each of the 8 quilts represents each shop's own style and décor. The patterns for these quilts will be available at participating vendors at the Quilt and Vendor Show, and at this year's Shop Hop Quiltshops.

Professional Quilt Appraisals

Donna Kooistra, a professional quilt appraiser certified by the American Quilter's Society, will be appraising quilts on Friday and Saturday from 9am-6pm. Call 260.463.7421 to set up an appointment.

Quilt Guild/Club Challenge

Clubs or Guilds can compete using their combined creative energy to complete in the festival's first ever Quilt Challenge. To enter, groups should contact the Festival to receive a fabric kit and entry form.

And the list of events continues...

Check out the “Other Activities” page on www.ShipshewanaQuiltFest.com to learn more about:

• Dustin Farrell's Quilting in the Dark show
• Rebecca Haarer's Mennonite and Amish quilt exhibit at Goshen College
• Yoder Department Store's list of opportunities to meet many of the festival presenters
• The Quilt Garden Tour
• The Carriage House's meal and Quilting Bee in an Amish home
• Das Dutchman Essenhaus's demonstrations at their Quilt Shop
• The Topeka Quilt Show & Sale
• In-home Amish Dining at Aunt Esther's
• Downtown LaGrange's exhibit of over 1,000 pillowcases which were quilted by the Northeast Indiana Quilters and will be donated to local shelter
• Menno-Hof's daily quilting demonstrations

For more information: 866.243.9434
www.ShipshewanaQuiltFest.com Email: info@ShipshewanaQuiltFest.com

The LaGrange County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is the official agency for tourism marketing, planning and development in LaGrange County, Indiana. If you have any questions about LaGrange County or would like more information about Shipshewana and other LaGrange County attractions please go on-line to www.visitlagrangecounty.org or call (800) 254-8090.

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