Entries needed by May 1, for International Quilt Show

Kara Lynn Dunn -

Did you quilt your way through the long winter? Or wrap up on a frosty night in a cozy, colorful, lovingly crafted quilt made for you by a friend? Quilting is a universal language that speaks many languages in beauty, creativity, friendship, and a heritage that began out of necessity and has become an artistic pursuit.

This 1000 Islands tourism theme quilt was created some 20 years ago to celebrate historic and modern day attractions with a maple leaf noting the shared region with Canada. [Photo courtesy of the Thousands Islands International Tourism Council]
Lorry Chwazik, certified by the National Association of Certified Quilting Judges.

Lorry Chwazik, certified by the National Association of Certified Quilting Judges since 1999, puts it this way:

“Quilts are as much an expression of our inner thoughts, emotions,
and convictions as any author’s text, musician’s symphony, or artist’s
image.” — Lorry Chwazik

Lorry has been selected to judge the North Country Biennial Quilt Show set for June 5-7, 2026, in the Thousand Islands in Clayton, NY. She has served as a quilting judge at shows throughout the Northeastern US, and judged and instructed on quilting at a Textile Art Association Exhibit in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

As a designer, custom quilt maker, and author, Lorry’s traditional and contemporary-style quilts and articles have been featured in national publications, including Quilters Newsletter Magazine, Quilting Today, and Quiltmaker, as well as on the covers of musical recordings. She is now in her 32nd year of teaching and lecturing on quilting.

Quilters from both sides of the international border are encouraged to enter the show with their fabric in art pieces for judging by Lorry or for display-only.

“I’m excited to think that our Canadian neighbors may enter their
quilts in this year’s show. It is a privilege to return to the Thousand Islands
to evaluate the North Country quilters’ work with respect and appreciation for all levels and types of quilt-making.”

Entries will be accepted for judging, or for display-only, by May 1, 2026; contact the North Country Quilting Guild (NCQG) at 315-489-0088 for rules and entry form. There is a fee for non-members of the Guild to enter. Learn more at NCQGlovestoquilt on Facebook.

Raffle Quilt Has International Origin: You Decide Where

Proceeds from the raffle of this “Flying to the Stars” quilt will support North Country Quilting Guild programming and its community service projects. [Photo courtesy of Tom Murray.]

A bit of a mystery surrounds a quilt that first appeared on Pinterest; it caught quilters’ attention and they began searching for the pattern. Depending on the source, the design was created by members of a quilt guild either in Austria or Australia. (The informal consensus seems to be Austria.) The original quilters, however, did not write out the instructions for making their blocks. As the story goes, after numerous inquiries about the pattern, a quilter and shop owner in North Dakota pursued and received permission to recreate the design and copyright the pattern titled “Flying to the Stars.”

The NCQG members’ representation of the design will be on exhibit and for raffle at the Guild’s June show to benefit Guild programming and community services, which include guest speakers, workshops, trunk shows, show and tell presentations, and a Caring and Sharing program that donates quilts to local organizations, including the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Hospice, and the Victim’s Assistance Center.

From Whimsical to Traditional: Quilting Crosses All Borders

The Biennial North Country Quilt Show features small quilted items from the whimsical to traditional in a silent auction to benefit a regional charity. [Photo courtesy of Tom Murray.]

Before the disruption in cross-border travel by the pandemic, Canadian quilters were frequent visitors to the North Country Quilt Show, which happens only every other year. The show fills the Cerow Recreation Park Arena in Clayton with more than 200 quilts of all sizes and styles, demonstrations, vendors, and a silent auction of small quilts, bags, and other quilted items to benefit the Gouverneur Breast & Ovarian Cancer Fund, which helps support patients across a four-county region of northern New York. In 2026, the Guild looks forward to welcoming visitors who appreciate the art of quilting.

To find 2026 quilt shows in Ontario and Quebec, see quiltguilds.com/quilt-shows-in-ontario-and-quebec/.

By Kara Lynn Dunn

Kara Lynn Dunn first publicized quilting events and quilt theme travel as the publicist for the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. Today, she is a publicist for the New York Sea Grant Great Lakes program and freelances for the North Country Quilting Guild Biennial Quilt Show in honor of the late Great Lakes Seaway Trail Executive Director Teresa Mitchell, who resided and quilted in Clayton, NY.

Kara Lynn Dunn: office/landline 315-465-758, karalynn@gisco.net