Celebrate the rich tradition of quilting during this special four-day showcase! Walk through hundreds of unique, handcrafted quilts on full-length display while enjoying the soothing sounds of live pianists in the exhibit hall. Our regional show attracts talent and expertise from across the country. Explore the Feature and Special Exhibits, discover tools and techniques from our skilled demonstrators, take a class with our guest artist Sue Cortese, and shop at Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop.
The National Association of Certified Quilt Judges determines ribbon winners across more than 20 categories. Novel art quilts, time-honored traditional quilts, and everything in between are celebrated here.
Spend a day or two with us! Expand your skills by taking a class on Japanese shibori techniques, learn needle turn applique, explore hand stitching methods, and peek behind the curtain of the judging world with a lecture from Sue Cortese.
New to the Quilt Show is a Gallery Talk. Hear firsthand from the curator, creator and designer of the Special Exhibit: Artistic Expressions in Quilt & Fiber Form.
No matter how you spend your time at our show, you won’t be disappointed.
Feature Exhibit: Gastronomy - a SAQA Global Exhibition
Special Exhibit: Artistic Expressions in Quilt & Fiber - The Work of Sue Cortese
Special Exhibit: Bits & Pieces: The Bilious Green Fight
Guest Artist: Sue Cortese
Shopping with Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop
Member’s Night: Exclusive after hours viewing for Sauder Village members
Lecture - Identifying Ribbon Winning Quilts - with the lecture given by Sue Cortese
Workshops: Sue Cortese, instructor
Gallery Talk: Special Exhibit – Artistic Expressions in Quilt & Fiber - The Work of Sue Cortese
Quilt Appraisals: Donna Kooistra, AQS Certified
Juried Show: National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ) Doris Goins and Lisa Schreck
Check out the outstanding winning quilts of 2024, follow this link:
CONGRATULATIONS 2024 Quilt Show Winners
Quilt Show 2024 at Sauder Village includes...
Main Exhibit
Open to the Public from...
Wednesday, May 1 – Saturday, May 4, 2024
Walk through hundreds of beautiful, handcrafted quilts made by quilters around the country. Each year brings a brand-new kaleidoscope of color, pattern, size, and design..
Submit your quilts for the Exhibit... We’d love to exhibit your quilted masterpiece in our show. Once a quilt has been in the main exhibit, it cannot be re-entered in future years. Entries are accepted in up to twenty-three categories. Quilt Exhibit Entry Guidelines can be found here. Online registration of quilts will open on February 1, 2024 at 10am. Follow this link to the 2024 Quilt Registration to register your quilt for the exhibit. Follow this link to
Quilt Drop-Off and Pick-Up Information.
Quilt Show 2024
Members Night
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Join us for an exclusive after hours viewing of the annual Quilt Show.
Sauder Village Members are invited to an exclusive preview of the annual Quilt Show. Enjoy a quiet evening viewing ribbon-winning quilts from around the country, admiring the work of our feature artists, and taking in “Gastronomy”—a special Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA) Global Exhibition.
Registration is not required. Show your membership card at the information desk for free entry.
Feature Exhibit
Gastronomy – a SAQA Global Exhibition
Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, featuring not only the bountiful gifts from nature, but a gift from the human hand. The art of preparing unique, delicate food is a tradition passed from generation to generation, around the world. Combining innovative ingredients, colors, textures, and flavors creates dishes pleasing to both the palette and the eye.
Juried by Cecilia and Merce, two sisters who started silk painting 23 years ago as a hobby.
Special Exhibits
Open to the Public from...
Wednesday, May 1 – Saturday, May 4, 2024
Bits & Pieces: The Bilious Green Fight
Knot Even Quilters (KEQ) in Tecumseh, MI
Ann Stamm Merrell was a fiber artist who fought a hard battle against cancer. She came to regard 'bilious green' as a symbol of her fight and we are challenged to use a bit of that color in our final pieces. We selected bits and pieces from the leftovers of her textile art and built our art based upon her starts. This challenge was a bridge to honor those who built textile art before us and gave us a base upon which we will continue to grow our art.
Curated by Kathy Smith, Kathryn Schmidt, and Deb Ridgway
Artistic Expressions in Quilt & Fiber - The Work of Sue Cortese
This special exhibit is a collection of Sue’s work, reflecting her passion for fabric dyeing and her unique transformation of that fabric into stunning works of fiber art. Her recent work centers around shibori and indigo dyeing. Shibori is a Japanese method of using pressure as a resist, creating a pattern when dyed. The Kumo or spiderweb pattern is a favorite shibori technique of Sue’s. The energy of the circular motif combined with the rhythm of the striped lines is something she finds interesting and pleasing. Knowing various shibori techniques allows her work to take advantage of the different pattern and textures each produces. The use of natural indigo adds a touch of familiarity and a color used worldwide for centuries.
You won’t want to miss this special exhibit! Join Sue for a Gallery Talk on Saturday, May 4 at 9 am where she will share details about her work on display.
Sue will also be teaching an indigo dyeing workshop during Quilt Show 2024. See the schedule for this and other class offerings.
Follow the link to learn more about the Feature and Special Exhibits.
Professional Quilt Appraisals
Donna L. Kooistra, AQS Certified Quilt & Textile Appraiser and President of the Professional Association of Appraisers of Quilted Textiles, brings her knowledge of a quilt's estimated value to the Sauder Village Quilt Show.
Quilt appraisals will be done at the Sauder Village Quilt Show in Founder’s Hall by appointment or by walk-in Friday, May 5, from 10:00 – 4:00 p.m, and by appointment Saturday, May 6. Registration is preferred but not required and you will be contacted to set up an appointment time. Walk-ins will be seen as soon as possible. Follow this link for additional Quilt Appraisal information and to register.
Shopping
Check out the great shopping at our Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop. Be sure to allow plenty of time to find fabric, notions, patterns and tools for your quilting or sewing projects.
Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop offers a variety of fabrics, patterns, books, thread, tools, batting and more. The Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop is located within Historic Sauder Village and only a short walk from the show. Follow this link to more information about the Threads of Tradition Quilt Shop.
The shop will be following social distancing and safety protocols for a pleasant shopping experience.
Volunteering
Our volunteers graciously donate their time and talents to keep the Quilt Show running smoothly year after year. Please see our 2024 Quilt Show volunteer needs here: Volunteering Opportunities. Thank you for helping us share the love of quilting for many years to come!
Lodging
Whether you spend all week or just a day or two, make plans to stay in our beautiful Sauder Heritage Inn or Campground. For additional information follow these links...
Sauder Heritage Inn
Sauder Village Campground