After months of planning and organizing, the annual Ogallala Quilt Festival will get underway next week with visitors, vendors, quilters and opportunities for classes. The theme this year is Optical Art: Dimension, Deception, Perception.
Quilts are due on Tuesday morning, with Dimmitt residents having the opportunity to enjoy free admission to the DHS Activity Center where those will be displayed later that evening. Quilts will be judged that day and classrooms will be set up.
Next Thursday will feature Ruth Ann Berry’s class from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., followed by the Ogallala Awards Dinner at 7 p.m. Reservations are required for dinner. Vendors will also be setting up; exhibits and vendors will not be available to the public.
On Friday, there will be exhibits and vendors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The general membership meeting will also be held on Friday at 6:15 p.m. and the Fantastic Friday Night Dinner and Small Quilt Auction is at 7 p.m.
The Fantastic Friday dinner will feature Ruth Ann Berry, author, patterns designer and quilter. Berry is the author of “Bargello, Quilts in Motion”, “Braided Bargello”, and “Simplified 3D Quilts.” She has more than 50 individual quilt patterns available at major distributors throughout the world. Her focus is on composing quilt patterns designed to create the impression of motion and depth, especially Bargello and other three-dimensional or geometric styles. She owns and operates a small-town quilt shop and travels extensively to quilt shows and teaching engagements.
Classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, with exhibitors and vendors available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Classes will be held at various locations including City Hall, the Senior Citizens Center, Rhoads Memorial Library, Castro County Extension Office and West Texas Coffee.