COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Colusa was transformed into a vibrant patchwork paradise on Saturday for National Quilting Day.
The annual Quilts Around the Block offered a vibrant tapestry of color at various quilt displays around the city, quilting demonstrations, a pancake breakfast at the Colusa Fire Department, vendor fair, car show, and other downtown activities.
Friends around the Block, the local quilt shop, hosted the event for the fifth year.
Quilts Around the Block “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” is held to celebrate the rich history of quilting and to honor the quiltmakers who have kept the tradition alive for centuries, organizers said. It also brings positive attention to Colusa, its community, and local businesses, said Friends Around the Block owner Patt Thompson.
The National Quilting Association started National Quilting Day in 1991 and since then it has grown into a global celebration for all quilt lovers and makers.
In Colusa, the first Quilts Around the Block event took place in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants displayed quilts in windows and front yards for others to view from a distance considered safe.
After the pandemic, the community-wide celebration included new events.
Thompson, who bought Friends Around the Block a year ago, said she loves that other organizations have taken on their own activities to celebrate National Quilt Day.
“We were a little light on things in town this year because we have been working so hard in the shop,” Thompson said.
Quilts were on display at the Fire Department during the pancake breakfast.
Former Colusa resident, Tom Indrieri and Clay City BBQ hosted the car show around the same block with a colorful display of mostly American made vehicles from the past 100 years.
At the Colusa County Arts Council, on Fifth Street, collage artist Mark Vargo hosted a workshop for adults and children to learn collage techniques as a medium for storytelling and expression.
About 35 participants of all ages made paper quilt blocks by recycling the pages of donated books and magazines into collage art.
“I have been making collage art for at least 15 to 20 years – most of my life,” said Vargo, who received his bachelor’s in fine art from the University of Illinois. “I love sharing collage art with other people. I think it is a really accessible way to get people interested in art because any age can do it. If you are three or 100, you can do it.”
Vargo is an Upstate California grant recipient who installed seven inspiring preservation stations last year at all seven branches of the Colusa County Library. The interactive collage-based permanent sculptures raise awareness about local endangered, vulnerable, and protected wildlife species.
Quilts Around the Block for the first time featured a quilt display in Memorial Park. While quilt shows are typically “hands off,” Colusa quilter Jean Franklin made several quilts with touchable fabrics such as corduroy and fur for children to grab on to, as well as a Disney-themed quilt where kids could guess the movie or cartoon from images within the quilt blocks.
Although Quilts Around the Block is held on National Quilt Day in March, Thompson would prefer the Colusa event to be in May for more predictable weather.