Three Rivers Quilters Show Aims To Break Stereotype That Quilting Is Old-Fashioned
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Three Rivers Quilters Show, at the IBEW Building on the South Side, is a tradition passed down generation after generation.
Ruth Ann Lowery creates blue ribbon quilts in her basement in Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania. So does her daughter, Sally Ferko, and granddaughter, Lizzie.
"Being a full-time teacher and a full-time mom, it took more than a year to get this quilt done," Sally says. "I love the colors and how they work together, and the quilting."
This is the first entry for the family's youngest quilter, 9-year-old Lizzie Ferko. She says her quilt was two and a half years in the making.
Many of the quilts bloom with color, while others take a Pittsburgh approach. The colonial tradition had a resurgence in America's Bicentennial year.
Many still see quilting as a hobby for, well, grandma. But young quilting couple Dan and Maureen Daly crack the stereotype.
"Whether you're doing something good for somebody else, or working on a piece of art that you want to make, the reward is incredible," Dan says.
They make quilts for the homeless, with materials donated to Maureen's mother's shop, Quilter's Corner in Finleyville. She says she resisted quilting as old-fashioned until she started working in the store.
Now, her opinion has changed.
"I love seeing new faces come in, and young people that are really, really excited about it, but have no idea what they're doing," Maureen adds. "I love helping them. I figure it out and get pumped up about it. So it's a lot of fun."
The Quilters Show continues through Saturday.
