Southern Colorado Regional

Quilt Show

The 16th Annual Quilt Show - 2026

The Quilt Show was held at the El Pueblo History Museum from 10:00a - 4:00p, Thursday, April 2nd, thru Sunday, April 12th, with the exception of Easter Sunday, April 5th.

The Opening Reception was held on Thursday April 2nd, from 2:00p to 4:00p.  We did not host a Featured Quilter this year.  Instead, in support of the Museum and their displays for the 250th anniversary of our nation and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood, our focus was on the Underground Railroad and the part that quilts played in it.  Popular for the last few years, our Scavenger Hunt was available - find some of the blocks in quilts that held meaning for fugitives along their 250-mile walk to freedom in Canada!  There were also sampler quilts made by several different quilters, with one of each of these blocks.

This year we again hosted a Program.  Holly Bailey from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, CO presented A Bed Turning on Saturday, April 11th, at 1:00p.  everyone was invited to attend this free program.

We had 86 quilts displayed by 49 quilters representing 10 different guilds:  Pride City (PC), Scrappy Ladies (SL), Pueblo West (PW), City Beat (CB), Olde Schoolhouse Quilters (OSQ), Piecing Partners (PP), Colorado Quilt Council (CQC), Rippin & Stitchin (R&S), Calico Quilters and Sonrise Quilters, and 4 quilters who are Unaffiliated.  And we had 1478 visitors.

A Kids' Class is sponsored by the Museum on Fridays.  On those Fridays in which our Quilt Show is held, we conduct the classes.  In the class held the first Friday, April 3rd, the children were told about the Underground Railroad, and they toured the Museum with our Scavenger Hunt looking for the various block displays.  In the second class on April 10th, they demonstrated their amazing recall of UR blocks from the previous week, then created their own block with foam core board and scrap booking paper.  Finally, they stitched (with our assistance) a sashing strip to an orphan block.

The annual Pride City Quilt Guild Bucket Raffle, with 11 different items, was near the front doors - as always, tickets were $1 each or 6 for $5.  Visitors could choose which item(s) they wish to win by placing their ticket in the respective bucket.  The drawing for these items was held at the Museum following Quilt Pickup on Monday, April 13th at 1:00p.  The winner did not need to be present - we will call those winners not in attendance.

The Blocks and Quilts of Our Featured Displays

 the Underground Railroad

These block displays were scattered through the three galleries of our Quilt Show.

Bear Paw                                       Monkey Wrench                                         Basket               

Sailboat                                                  Drunkard's Path                               Crossroads

Wagon Wheel                                         Shoofly                                               North Star          

          Log Cabin                                         Flying Geese                                Carpenter's Wheel

Jacob's Ladder                                    Birds in the Air                                    Bow Tie            

Underground Railroad                Underground Railroad                       Women's Voices -                                                                                                                                        Civil War Quilt    Judy Byrne   PC                           Esther Archuleta   PC                           Mary Kay Witte   PC

Quick Link to the Galleries:  Atrium     Classroom    International 

Underground Railroad Quilt Code -                                       passed orally, never written down.

"The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada on a bear's paw trail to the crossroads.

Once they got to the crossroads they dug a log cabin on the ground. Shoofly told them to dress up in cotton and satin bow ties and go to the cathedral church, get married, and exchange double wedding rings.

Flying geese stay on the drunkard's path and follow the stars."

--Mrs. Ozella Williams

in Hidden in Plain View