From cutting and piecing fabric to quilting, binding and final packaging for delivery, every quilt is a team effort.”

Diana Joy | Caring Quilts chair

IF YOU GO

What: Cactus Needle Quilters Biennial Quilt Show

When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 16

Where: The Grand - Chaparral Center, 19781 N. Remington Drive

Tickets: $5

Information: cnqshow.org

Imagine some of the worst days in your life: a breast cancer diagnosis followed by surgery.

Your anxiety is through the roof and uncertainty about your future looms large. As you wake up in the recovery room in the fog of anesthesia, you discover that you have been wrapped in a handmade quilt. It is a little hug to buoy your spirits.

That is what Caring Quilts is all about: Giving a woman a lift at a pretty low point in her life. Letting her know that a team of sewists are all sending positive vibes through the comfort of a quilt.

The Cactus Needle Quilters Biennial Quilt Show is coming to The Grand on Saturday, March 16.

It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Chaparral Center, 19781 N. Remington Drive. Admission is $5. Parking is free and there is food available on site.

Attendees can purchase a raffle ticket for a chance to win a beautiful quilt, benefiting the club’s Caring Quilts program. The quilting on this work of art was done by a nationally recognized and award-winning member, Ann Petersen. Raffle tickets are $1 for one or $5 for six. The drawing will occur at the end of the show.

The Caring Quilts program at Cactus Needle Quilters in The Grand began in 2008 and was the brainchild of member Jean Bradford. She had previously made quilts for a hospital in Wisconsin where she was from before moving to Surprise.

One day she enlisted a couple of her sewing friends to make a few quilts for Banner Del Webb Hospital breast cancer surgical patients. To say the idea mushroomed from there is an understatement.

Donations of fabric and supplies poured in as well as members interested in participating. Soon the quilters were holding monthly workshops in the studio as well as multi-day retreats throughout the year.

Caring Quilts, currently chaired by Diana Joy, now delivers an average of over 150 quilts a year to the Banner Del Webb Hospital. Throughout the course of the program, it has provided over 1,500 quilts.

“Every quilt can have literally dozens of pairs of hands touch it in the creation process,” Joy said. “From cutting and piecing fabric to quilting, binding and final packaging for delivery, every quilt is a team effort. Each is truly a one of a kind, just like the recipient.”

The quilt show aims to be a visual smorgasbord of color, texture and style in addition to benefiting the club’s charitable endeavors. Attendees do not have to be a quilter or sewist to enjoy this show.

We want to welcome everyone in the community to join us for this expression of artistic talent. There will be over 200 quilts on display that have all been handmade by our club members.

They are from many genres, made with everything from very traditional blocks to mixed media modern art textiles.

One special feature of the show is an Upcycled Vintage Linen section. Members have taken old linens and reimagined them into new projects relevant for today’s decorating styles.

The display is sure to inspire you to dig through your grandmother’s doilies sitting in the attic and get to work on your own masterpiece.

There will also be a resale boutique of gently used quilting notions and fabric, as well as an excellent selection of lap and youth quilts for sale.

For show information, visit  cnqshow.org.