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Show Quilting blends new and old artforms Quilting has flourished in Utah because it is a craft that means many things to many people. Quilts are a combination of the practical and aesthetic, tradition and modern art. Historically, quilts were made of scrap materials and flour sacks saved sav-ed over a long period of time and then sewn into a much needed bed cover for the cold frontier winter nights. "There are still practical uses for quilts, but for the most part they take on a different meaning. Quilts have become a canvas or mosaic art medium," says Linda Tipton, Utah State University Extension clothing specialist. Quilting is also part of the Utah heritage of early settlers from the eastern U. S. and foreign countries. Part of the preservation of this handicraft han-dicraft goes at the Festival of the American West Quilt Contest which features some of the best quilts in the state. Tipton, quilt contest coordinator, says the contest has been one of the big successes at the Festival of the American West. Each year the contest has grown in contestants and spectators. This year's festival is scheduled July 29-August 6. Preliminaries of the quilt contest are now underway. Quilts have a lot of sentimental value. The reasons people quilt are as diverse as the quilt designs themselves, Tipton says. Some examples ex-amples of the reasons people quilt were given by quilt contest finalists last year: "In January 1979 I broke my leg skiing. What in the world was I going to do for six weeks while my leg was in a cast? "I plan to use the quilt some day in a newlywed apartment with a large brass bed, neither of which I have yet." "My quilt may not seem like much to some people, but in my home it is a 'masterpiece.' Kind of like that first hand drawn picture your child brings home from kindergarten. You are so proud, that you tack it on the refrigerator." Tipton says the festival quilt show draws all sorts of quilters first timers and old hands. She says the quilting story of Margaret Webster of Cedar City explains quilting best. "When I was a young mother making mak-ing quilts it was a necessity, but it soon became a fascinating hobby. Over the years my love for quilting has been a means of making wonderful friends who shared my interest. I found that when I was sad or worried it helped to bring out the bright pieces of cloth and lose myself in planning another pretty pret-ty quilt. "Now at 71 years old, though my fingers are stiffer, and my eyesight not as good, I am still getting a great deal of pleasure out of the quilts I make for babies and my grandchildren's weddings." |