A Chapin quilt maker has made the semifinals in a national competition for her high quality stitch work. Rosanne Hamilton is one of 220 semifinalists who will get to display their top-stitched quilts at the American Quilter’s Society International Quilt Show in Daytona Beach, Florida in February. Hamilton’s piece “Mexican Tiles – Fiesta De Talavera” was inspired by her love for the Mexican culture and a bucket list wish. Hamilton said the wish came from organizing a trip to the annual Spring International Quilt Show held in Paducah, Kentucky 5 years ago. “It was the first time I had ever been and I was just in awe. I left there with the idea that I was going to have a quilt good enough to hang in that quilt show. It’s just kind of been a bucket list item ever since.”
Hamilton said she decided on her homage to Mexican Talavera Art Tiles was the quilt to enter after an appraisal earlier this year. She said the quilt was appraised in July for $7,000. Hamilton says there is a lot of paperwork and verification that has to be sent in prior to entry, including being judged by a panel to determine whether an entry can be entered into the show at all. Hamilton said she was overwhelmed when her first ever entry made into the semifinal round.
First, Second, and Third place finishers will be given awards across 7 separate categories in the competition, along with seven overall award winners including Best In Show. AQS is expected to be awarding $50,000 worth of prizes February 26th-29th. The show is expected to draw nearly 15,000 people from across the country and 13 countries around the world. Hamilton says that the quilting industry is about a $5 million industry.
Hamilton says it will be another weekend trip for her and her husband for her quilting hobby. She says she won’t mind Florida in the middle of the Illinois winter. Hamilton said that two years ago she went to Oklahoma on vacation to simply visit nearly 100 stores for quilting materials. She also says that quilting continues to be popular here locally among a small group of people who donate items for auctions or donate quilts for several benefits.
For more information or to keep track of Rosanne’s progress at the show in February, you can visit AQS’s website at QuiltWeek.com.