Though temperatures are still high, it is now officially fall, which means it’s time to start thinking about getting cozy. Need inspiration? Stop by the third annual Quilt Show, which opens Friday at the Inland Northwest Railroad Museum and continues through Sunday.
Quilts of all sizes will be displayed outside, around the various train cars, and spaced out to encourage social distancing.
“I think people are like magnets now,” Violet Winfield of Sew Uniquely You said. “They repel against each other and really adhere to social distancing.”
Winfield encourages face mask-wearing viewers to treat the show like a gallery visit as the quilts are works of art.
“They’re so intricate,” Winfield said. “They’re made of hand dyes and different fabrics. Everyone puts a different spin to their quilt, so it is like looking at a museum where you take your time.
“In past experience, families usually stand together and look at the same quilt and slowly walk on. It’s like a slow procession. Plus, you’re in a museum, so there’s a lot of museum ephemera to look at, as well.”
Winfield said Sew Uniquely You is providing about 46 quilts, with other shops and quilters bringing more to the show. Last year, Winfield recalls there being at least 100 quilts of differing sizes on display.
Along with admiring the quilts, visitors also will be able to visit quilt vendor merchandise booths, tour the museum building and train, learn about Inland Northwest railroad history and take a free ride on the 2-foot gauge train.
“This is a pretty big event because, as far as events go, people are starved, and there’s nothing like a good quilt show,” Winfield said. “Because there’s the train theme, a lot of women are taking their husbands with them. It would be a nice Sunday afternoon drive out there.”
A special competition encourages quilters to submit their best railroad depot-themed quilt during the show. The themed quilts, all sizes accepted, will be displayed in a special section and judged by attendees. The winner receives $100.
The quilt show is 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Entry is $8, which covers the show and museum. The Inland Northwest Railroad Museum is at 27300 Sprinkle Road N. in Reardan.