Originally posted on Finger Lakes Times by SUSAN CLARK PORTER
Oct. 12, 2014
About two years ago. Rebecca Odell of Clyde and Cathy Applebee of Port Byron decided to start a quilting group in Wayne County. They sought permission to use the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah.
The Flyway Quilters — most hail from Wayne County — have been meeting ever since on the second Tuesday of each month.
As a thank you to the Audubon Center, the group is holding a quilting show Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at the center. Friday will feature quilting demonstrations and displays. On Saturday, there will be nature-themed activities.
In addition, the group made three bird quilts that will be unveiled and gifted to the center. Quilter Liz Rattray of Clyde said the center’s director, Chris Lajewski, requested the quilts and asked that they feature an eagle, sandhill crane and cerulean warbler, but otherwise gave the group free rein on their creations.
The three quilts each measure 60 by 60 inches and will be unveiled at the “Art Meets Nature” quilt show, which the group decided to hold in concert with the unveiling.
“The quilts are a little bit modern,” Rattray said. “They are definitely pictures of birds, but it’s not a bed quilt. When people think about quilt shows you think bed quilts or grandma’s quilts. ... There’s going to be a wide array of different types of quilts.”
Rattray said this is the first time the group has ever hosted a quilt show and she admitted it’s a lot of work.
“But I think it’s a natural event for an Audubon Center, especially because of John James Audubon with his art and birds,” she said. “It’s kind of an exciting event for us since we’ve only been together for about two years.”
On Friday, Oct. 31, the show runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and includes demonstrations on paper piercing, bargello (a type of needlepoint embroidery) and fabric bowls, as well as trunk shows. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes expert talks on the featured birds and guided nature hikes as well as quilting presentations on Underground Railroad and miniature quilts and preparing quilts for a longarm. Handmade items will also be for sale and vendors will be on site Saturday. (Visit www.flywayquilters.com for detailed schedule).
“It’s nice because you can bring your husband; he can take a nature walk or go look at birds or listen to a presentation,” Rattray said. “... It’s not just for ladies to come out and look at quilts — it’s something your family can come out to. It is really a unique situation for a quilt show.”
Admission is $5 per person or $10 for a family of three or more. All proceeds benefit the Montezuma Audubon Center.
Lajewski, the center’s director, said the Flyway Quilters are “a wonderful, talented” group of artists and the center is proud to partner with them on this event. He called the finished bird quilts “unbelievable” and “fantastic” and said they will be a great addition to the facility.
“It’s a great way to connect with a different audience,” Lajewski said. “The quilting community is large and very strong and it’s not an audience we have worked with.”
Like Rattray, Lajewski feels it’s a good fit because of the Audubon connection.
“Audubon was the pre-eminent artist back in the 1800s and all of the subsequent birding artists are measured against his work, so there is a strong connection between the National Audubon Society and artists. We’re very excited about this event — families, adults, artists, quilters, bird enthusiasts ... there’s something for everyone.”
