Vintage Quilts Offer a Thread to the Past

Over the decades, quilts have served as a way to preserve family histories.

And judging by the quality of the quilts that will be on display at the fourth annual Ojai Valley Quilt Show, these are not simply blankets to be layered on a bed on cold nights.

These quilts, with their intricate embroidery and patterns, are meant to be seen.

This year’s show, which begins Thursday and continues through Saturday, has expanded to include more than 100 quilts at the Ojai Valley Woman’s Club, the Ojai Valley Museum, Wesleyan Church and the Chaparral High School auditorium, said Pastor Lyn Thomas of Wesleyan Church.

More than 50 vintage quilts will be part of the display, along with antiques on consignment from local stores. Fifteen of the quilts will be for sale, Thomas said. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We have a Star of Texas quilt on display that was made in the 1890s,” Thomas said.

“It’s an eight-pointed star, and the colors--red, yellow and orange on a white background--[seem to] move; they pulsate.”

A number of local schools make quilts for the show, and professional judges award prizes for the best student-made quilt.

This year, Ojai Valley School tied with Topa Topa School for first place, said Anne Boydston, who has been a coordinator of the show since its inception in 1995.

The year’s show will feature quilt artists and Julia Zgliniec, an appraiser certified by the American Quilt Society.

Appraisals are not so much for the owner of the quilt to determine what it could be sold for as they are for insurance value should it get damaged or stolen, Thomas said.

Vendors from throughout the state will sell fabrics, patterns and tools of the quilting trade.

A sneak preview of the show can be seen at the Ojai Valley Museum from 1 to 4 p.m. today.

For more information and for ticket prices, call 646-8060.