More than 100 members of the Monadnock Quilters’ Guild have been working to prepare for the Oct. 12 and 13 Fall Festival of Quilts at South Meadow School in Peterborough.

“Quilting is really form of art,” said Sue Conklin, a member of the guild and one of the organizers of the event. “People really just love to come and see all the quilts.”

The MQG show, which takes place every other year, is the guild’s primary fundraiser. Funds raised by the show go toward covering the cost of the guild’s meeting space, speaker fees for its monthly meetings, storage and supplies for special projects and challenges.

Speakers include lecturers and artists from the New Hampshire Humanities Council as well as experts in the craft of quilting. 

“We alternate our show with our sister quilters’ guild, which is Cheshire,” Conklin said. “That way, there is a show every year. We always get a great turnout.” 

The show includes a selection of 27 handmade quilts that will be raffled off, from wall hanging and novelty size to queen size of varied themes, styles, colors and patterns. The raffle quilts can be viewed at monadnockquiltersguild.org/quilt-raffle-2024. 

“The quilts on display are of all different levels of complexity, from beginner through advanced. Some of the really advanced quilts have up to 5,000 pieces,” said guild member Shelly Connolly. “On some of them, every single block is unique, and they are just incredible.” 

Connolly says that beginners are encouraged to show quilts at the show and get involved with the MQG.

“The more-simple quilts can be just as beautiful,” Connolly said.

“We have all kinds of people in the guild, different ages, and yes, we have  men — we have some really wonderful male quilters,” Conklin said. 

Conklin started quilting when her great-niece asked her for a “Hello Kitty” quilt in 2014, and she has been quilting ever since.

Connolly recently recreated her own childhood quilt for her 4½-year-old granddaughter. 

“When I was growing up, I had a quilt on my bed that my mother and my aunt had made. I made the same pattern for my granddaughter, so now she has a quilt with the same pattern that her great-grandmother made,” Connolly said. 

The quilt show will include quilting demonstrations, quilting vendor booths, food and beverage vendors and “show and tell” displays of quilts. There will also be a children’s corner with crafts and activities.

“We can keep the kids busy while parents look at the quilts,” Conklin said. 

Exhibits include examples of the MQG’s “monthly challenges,” in which quilters create blocks around certain themes, using specific instructions and materials. 

“Last year was ‘Playing with a Full Deck,’ so we had quilts with the theme of all 52 playing cards. This year’s theme is ‘Do Me a Solid,’ and it’s all solid color blocks – no patterned fabric. It’s wonderful to see what people come up with,” Conklin said.

The MQC partners with the local chapter of The Linus Project, a national nonprofit, to donate quilts and blankets for children who are traumatized, ill or severely in need, including to children in New Hampshire hospitals. Members also participate in workshops with Cozy Covers, a local group that donates quilts to worthy causes. 

“There is just a sense of satisfaction when you can give a quilt to someone,” Conklin said. 

Connolly said she suddenly understood the art of quilting several ago while working on a holiday-themed quilt.

“Working on that quilt, it just came to me. I was thinking about the state of our country, and how we are so divided. I was thinking of how to arrange the red and green stars and it just came to me, our country is not made of red stars and green stars. We are red and green, together,” Connolly said. “You can really express yourself through a quilt.”

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7, free for children under 12.

The Monadnock Quilters’ Guild meets at Divine Mercy Parish in Peterborough on the third Friday night of every month at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. For information, go to monadnockquiltersguild.org.