The Quiet Valley Quilters Guild is an organization for those interested in the art of quilting. Our aims are to promote and develop an appreciation for this art form, provide an opportunity for the education of our members through workshops and guest lecture programs, and serve as a resource for the community. We are a not-for-profit corporation.

The 90-member Guild meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Second Congregational Church on Hillside Street, Bennington, VT. Business meetings begin at 6:30 pm, although members assemble around 6:00 pm in a more social mode. Guests and friends are always welcome!

A typical QVQ meeting includes a business meeting and quilt-related program/activity. Social time and refreshments are a pleasurable component to each meeting. Members are encouraged to bring recent quilt projects for "Show and Tell," an activity that is both supportive and instructive. Each month the Guild sponsors a Block Swap, where those who put together the specified block are eligible to win all the blocks in the monthly drawing.

Annual dues are $20, payable October 1st. A reduced rate is offered for those joining after January 31. Interested in becoming a member? Contact our Guild representative.

Workshops are held each month, usually on the third Saturday, October through June. In recent months the Guild has offered workshops in Advanced Appliqué, Stained Glass Quilting, Seminole Piecing, Stack-n-Whack, Quilted clothing, and various methods for making scrap quilts. The workshop topics are varied so as to appeal to all levels of quilters. Workshop costs are $5.00 for members, $20.00 for non-members. Check out our current schedule in the Calendar of Events.

The Guild members are highly motivated to be of service to the community and put considerable effort into providing quilted items for those in need. The premier service project for QVQ is the "Quilt Cupboard," where members make and stockpile quilts that are then donated to families who need quilts for physical and psychological warmth; for example, after a fire has destroyed their home. Forty- seven quilts were donated in 2002. In 1999, the Guild made and donated several quilts to a local hospice organization. In 2001, 19 quilts were donated to families who lost loved ones in the September 11th terrorist attacks. The Guild provides teddy bears and miniature quilts to children and seniors each Christmas through the Spirit of Sharing organization and, as funds permit, makes cash donations to charitable organizations.

The Guild's inaugural meeting was in 1984 when twenty-six die-hard quilters gathered to organize in the art room at Catamount School. Membership grew rapidly and necessitated the move to larger quarters. The first effort to raise funds for this group was a raffle quilt, and the Guild has sponsored a raffle quilt each year since. Just about every member of the Guild helps with some aspect of this project: designing, purchasing fabric, piecing blocks, and hand quilting the quilt. View photos of current and past raffle quilts.

The Guild published its first newsletter in 1987, an effort to keep members informed of the various activities and programs. The Guild held its first quilt show, now known as the Bennington Quiltfest, in 1994 to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

At the first Quilt Show, which was held at the Ramada Inn in Bennington, 76 quilts were displayed, and nine vendors sold quilting-related supplies. The show was such a success that it has become an annual event.

Quilt Show dates were chosen to coincide with Bennington's Antique Car Show, which is held on the second weekend after Labor Day. In 1995, the show was moved to Mount Anthony Union High School, a larger venue offering more room for quilt exhibits, vendors, classes, and lectures.

With over 200 quilted items on display, 19 vendor spaces, a consignment shop, a featured quilter and lecturer, demonstrations, vintage quilts exhibits, and the spectacular raffle quilt, Bennington Quiltfest has grown into one of the area's most popular events. The show gives the public the opportunity to view quilts ranging from the homespun, traditional variety we grew up with to fascinating contemporary works of art.