Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Five of the 39 miniature quilts which will be on display in the entrance to the Portales Public Library starting Monday.
PORTALES — A combination quilt exhibition and fundraiser is coming to the Portales Public Library as the "Stitches & Stories" display is set to begin with an artist reception on Monday.
Organizer Betty Williamson said individuals from around eastern New Mexico, and the world, designed miniature quilts with accompanying 250-word stories.
She said the designs were completely up to the artist. One quilt features a cowboy boot and tells the story of women walking in their boots on the way to the West. Another includes a message encouraging people to sew.
Assistant Librarian Tawna Luscombe said there's even a piece made from a stroller cushion that was sent to the library from Kazakhstan.
Luscombe said the artists also had free reign over the type of accompanying story. Some describe the quilt, others talk about the history behind their piece and a few artists created a unique story to go along with the quilt.
Williamson said the idea for "Stitches & Stories" came from Greeley, Colorado, resident Courtney Willis who visits Portales annually with his wife Connie, a writer and regular speaker at the annual Jack Williamson Lectureship at Eastern New Mexico University.
He told Williamson about a similar program at his local library, and she thought it would be "a unique way to bring in some extra money" for the Friends of the Portales Library and encourage a fun quilting project for the community.
Willis also provided a quilt for the display, which Williamson said resembles a stained glass window and was created using an antique sewing machine.
Williamson said the quilts that are donated to the library — she estimated about half of the 39 quilts involved would be donated - will be a part of a silent auction taking place at the library from Nov. 1 through Nov. 17.
She said they are also planning to auction off some of the pieces on the Friends of the Portales Library Facebook page so non-eastern New Mexico residents can get in on the bidding.
Williamson was pleased with the community involvement on the project.
"We had no idea if we were going to have five or 500 but we've had a lot of people who were really enthusiastic about this," she said.
Monday's reception is set for 4:30-6 p.m. at the library. Williamson encouraged the community to come out, eat a cookie, enjoy some punch and walk through the library to take in all of the miniature quilts, which will be on display in the entrance to the building.
