Art Trails

Smokey Mountain Quilts

Article and photos by Anne Jenkins

Of all the arts I think the most comforting has to be quilting. It's a definite feel-good art form - feeling low? Wrap yourself in a quilt and it's like a mother's arms wrapping around you. American quilting is renown worldwide and a visit to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky is a must for all quilters but there are a lot of small but sensational quilting guilds all over the place.

	Rows and rows of beauty
	Detail from Funky Houses
	Funky Houses by Charlotte Alexander of Tuckasegee, NC.

For instance, tucked at the edge of the Great Smokey mountains in Western North Carolina, but firmly in the Appalachians, lies the small town of Franklin known mainly for their gem stones. And might soon will also be known for their quilting. They host an annual quilt show in August that really seems more like a big city guild - they had 333 entries in 2010! And it was a spectacular show.

	Life Before BP by Audrey Hiers of Blairsville GA - a tribute to my roots
	Detail from Beach Bums by Darlene Barnes of Franklin, NC.
	Checking out Quiet Village in Tuscany by Mildred Gray of Franklin, NC

One of the good deeds they are involved with is the Quilts of Valor. The idea to is to make and give quilts to all veterans touched by war. This is a national effort and the Smokey Mountain Guild is very active in this endeavor. Some of the quilts on display at the 2010 show were very touching. This year, 2011, is the 150 th anniversary of the American Civil War, or War between the States - depending on your location, and I am sure there will be some extraordinary quilt shows with that in mind. Quilts were common as blankets in those days and there are bound to be some historic quilts with interesting stories in many homes.

Quilt of Valor honoring Sgt Charles Shuler who served in Vietnam
	Men enjoy quilts just as much as women
	Old sewing machines and flowers add to the atmosphere

Quilts, like all forms of textile art, can be anything from a simple cover for the bed to an exotic wall hanging or piece of clothing. And lately they are also becoming quite a tourist attraction with quilting trails.

In 2010 the guild launched the Quilt Trail of Macon County during the fall "leaf peeping" season with the hopes to grow it in to an annual attraction over time. They are painting quilt blocks on barns and buildings and encouraging members to hang quilts on their porches or fences. They have maps with GPS locations, tour guides and quilt trail pins available at many of the block locations to collect along the way.

	Quilt with 3 degree affect
	Quilting goes glamorous
	Quilting does folk art

They are very proud of the fact the guild will host the North Carolina Quilt Symposium in June,2012 which will take the place of their annual show for that year. The symposium is a yearly 4-day event that includes workshops with well-known quilt instructors, lectures, vendors, a quilt show, and lots of fun activities. The theme of the 2012 Symposium is "Stars over the Smokies." Details of the symposium will be posted on their website nearer the date.

Before you travel, get online and check out the area for quilting websites or it's worth keeping an eye on small town newspapers. They often give details of the local quilters guilds who usually welcome visitors - it can make for a very rewarding visit. Every quilt has a story and at times you can learn as much from a quilt as a history book.

For more information :

http://www.smokymtnquilters.org for the guild

http://www.qovf.org for Quilts of Valor

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