Nancy’s Kaleidoscope Quilt is Stunning!

Quilter’s Name: Nancy Mentzer from Hockersville, Pennsylvania

Type of Quilt: Bed Quilt

Name of Pattern: Kaleidoscope

Featured Date: 8-03-23

Hello, my name is Nancy Mentzer.  I am from a rural area known as Hockersville.  It is approximately 40 miles from our capital, Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. 

I started quilting about ten years ago.  My grandson asked me to make him a quilt.  I never made a quilt before and never really even thought about it.  I guess I was intimidated by all the beautiful quilts I have seen. I did make clothing, curtains, and crafty things, but that was the extent of my sewing.

I use to watch my mother and great grandmother make quilts when I was a child, but it was done on a treadle machine and it took a lot longer in those days.  I remember them cutting patches using card board templates and how sore their hands would get from the scissors.  But when the quilts were completed, they were beautiful and warm.  My special part was finding my name and birthday on the quilt.  I still have the quilt they made me, which would now be about sixty years old. 

With all that said, I took on the challenge of making my grandson his quilt.  Surprisingly it turned out very nice.  That lead to another and another and another.  I now have made my mother, uncle, grandchildren and great grandchildren quilts with their names and birthdays.  It has totaled over twenty quilts. 

The last couple years my granddaughter and her husband thought I should enter one of my quilts in our local fair.  I never felt my quilts would measure up especially to be judged at a fair.  Finally, just to satisfy them and basically to prove to them my quilts aren’t fair quality, I entered the Kaleidoscope quilt.  Much to my surprise it won First Place!  I also received a few “I told you so’s” from the kids.  I am glad I entered the quilt.  I now feel a lot better about the work I do.  I am also thankful to my grandchildren for having faith in me and giving me the inspiration to enter the contest.

The pattern of the quilt I am submitting is called Kaleidoscope.  The fabric is Floral Burst Purple by Kaffe, and Simply Delightful Off White, by Moda.  All the Kaleidoscopes came from the outside border and the backing.  They are all different.  Not one of them turned out the same.  Since I wanted the back to be of the same fabric that the Kaleidoscopes were made from; I had to piece the back in three places.  Luckily, I had enough fabric I could match the pieces up and you could barely see where they came together.  

Sometimes it is worth taking that leap of faith.    

Nancy Mentzer

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