How do you make a beautiful quilt without templates, piecing or rotary cutters? Try one of our “Wholecloth Quilts” by Holice Turnbow for Benartex!

Wholecloth quilts have a rich history. The design of the quilt is created by the raised surfaces of the quilting itself. With the wholecloth collection by Holice Turnbow, Benartex printed the quilting lines right on the fabric, in crib, full or queen size. Just layer, quilt on the light blue lines and then wash--- the lines disappear!

In traveling around the country, we’ve seen some really interesting approaches to our Wholecloth panels. At Quilt Market in Kansas City, we met quilt shop owner Pat Waelder from the Hickory Stick Gift and Quilt Shop in Hannibal, Missouri. Pat and Susan Robertson were kind enough to share the beautiful crib-sized sample of our “Floral Bouquet” shown above.

The quilt was made by Ruth Duff, using red perl embroidery to outline the designs of the quilt. The quilt was washed several times to ensure that the thread did not run. It didn’t, and as you can see, the quilt is beautiful!

Ruth, 84 years old, (shown to the right) makes many of the beautiful samples in the Hickory Stick. “When you meet her,” says Susan, “you immediately sense her love and joy of sewing and quilting. She’s a wonderful quiltmaker, and wonderful person.” Ruth lives in Eolia, Missouri with her husband, and her work is simply lovely.

In fact, it was Ruth’s idea to create a gorgeous red, white and blue raffle quilt to help support the September 11th program of the Salvation Army. With fabrics and patterns donated by shop owner Pat Waelder, Ruth’s quilt is hung proudly in the Hickory Stick, with the drawing to be held in September, one year after the 9/11 tragedy.

The Hickory Stick is located at 326 N. Main Street in Hannibal, Missouri. In addition to fabrics, the shop has various rooms, each with a different theme. Fabrics, gift items, and a sense of history makes the Hickory Stick a great place to visit.

For more information about wholecloth quilts, click here. If you have a favorite quilt shop you would like us to feature, please send your requests to Susan@benartex.com.