Joanne Brownlee displays many of the quilts she has made in the great room of her Ooltewah home.
Brownlee also displays her quilts in a cabinet in her foyer.
Joanne Brownlee holds one of her favorite creations, a handmade quilt that illustrates Bible stories in its squares.
Kathy Skomp positioned this floral-themed quilt above a dresser in a bedroom.
This quilt draped over a ladder behind a bar is one of 15 quilts Kathy Skomp has made and put on display in her home.IF YOU GOWhat: American Quilter’s Society QuiltWeek.When: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.Where: Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St.Admission: $14 one day, $25 two days, $35 multiday pass.Information: quiltweek.com.MORE QUILT SHOWSNational Heritage Quilt ShowWhen: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 27Where: McMinn Living Heritage Museum, 522 W. Madison Ave., Athens, Tenn.Admission: Free to museum members, $5 all others.Information: livingheritagemuseum.comCommon Threads Quilt ShowWhen: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 3, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 4.Where: Mount Olive Ministries, 3533 Harrison Pike, Cleveland, Tenn.Admission: $3.For more information: 423-472-7567.QUILT APPRAISALSThink your family heirloom is valuable for more than sentimental reasons? Find out during American Quilter’s Society Quilt Week. An appraiser who has completed the AQS certified appraiser program will be at the Chattanooga Convention Center for one-to-one meetings with individuals bringing quilts for inspection. The appraiser will sit down with the visitor, spread out the quilt to examine it from all angles, ask questions and review any documentation before giving an estimation of value. There is a fee of $50 per quilt, and no limit as to how many quilts one may bring. Misty Rowland, AQS appraisal coordinator, says appointments are not required. Appraisals will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12-13, in Room 11 at the convention center.
What do a heavy-metal rocker, a biker chick and an aeronautical space engineer have in common?
They’re all members of the Badass Quilter’s Society — a local group of card-carrying American Quilter’s Society members whose mission is to dispel stereotypical myths about quilters.
“We are quilters who want to be recognized for who we are and what we do. In an industry that’s really trying to freshen itself up, beat the stereotypical image of a quilter being a boring frump, our organization is at the forefront of that,” says Maddie Kertay, BQS founder and owner of Spool quilt shop on McCallie Avenue. “Quilters are not all white, slightly graying and wearing cardigans.”
Kertay founded the group online two years ago with a website backed up by social media. The online membership has surpassed 7,000 members and about 250 of those live in the Tennessee Valley, she says. The group’s target demographic is ages 46 to 57, but its membership spans teens to senior adults, she says.