Local Quilt Group Supports Nonprofits

Five years ago, Alice Schaaf moved to the area and wanted to get to know people in her New River Valley home, so she turned to one of her favorite pastimes–quilting. Now the Draper Quilt and Art Collective is an established group of artisans and craftspeople who come together to learn about and share their knowledge of quilting with other members who have a range of quilting skills . The group also explores different art projects and the work of local artists.

The Collective does more than enjoy each other’s company and build their quilting skills. They apply those talents to craft beautiful community quilts that they then donate to local nonprofits to raffle off and raise funds. The Collective has donated five quilts to local nonprofits, with the most recent being donated to the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley.

That quilt uses a traditional log cabin pattern but with a modern color palette. Alice Schaaf noted it was both a learning experiment and a gift to the community, as the quilters had to create blocks “with a light side with colors that graduate and a dark side with colors that graduate, so there are a lot of design options when you put the blocks together.” In this case, the experiment yielded a beautiful result.

The king-size quilt is on display at the Center and will be raffled off at Rhythm by the Rails, a music, food, and art festival in Jackson Park in Pulaski on Saturday, August 10. The event is sponsored by the Fine Arts Center and features performances by Ian Gilliam and the Firekings, the GRAPe JAM band, and the Jared Stout Band. Tickets for the quilt are available online, at the Center, and will also be available at Jackson Park on August 10.

For more information about the Fine Arts Center, exhibits, classes, or local, handmade gifts visit the Center’s website at FACNRV.org, email at info@FACNRV.org, or call 540-980-7363. The Center is located at 21 West Main Street in the Historic Downtown Commercial District of Pulaski.