Get your needles out! Quiltfest returns

11th year even bigger and better A Mountain Quiltfest is returning for its 11th straight year, March 9-13, 2005. Quiltfest is a popular quilting event that traditionally draws more than 20,000 visitors to the East Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge. Quilters and crafters come for the multi- category Mountain Quiltfest show and more than 70 instructional Quiltfest classes and seminars. This year’s show is even bigger and better than before. “We had so many entries we needed to expand the show this year,” Kay Powell with the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism told The Herald. “We have 312 regular entries this year plus 35 ‘Challenge Quilts’ that will be given to SafeSpace so we are splitting the show between the Smoky Mountain Convention Center and the new Boyds Bear facility.” Challenge Quilts are quilts made by local guilds which are donated to SafeSpace, an abuse shelter for woman, children and occasionally men. “The quilts are donated so when people get out of SafeSpace and are ready to start a new home they have something special that they can take with them to start their new life. We are pleased to be able to offer these quilts for all those involved in SafeSpace,” stated Powell. According to the Pigeon forge Department of Tourism office, the Quilt and Vendor Show will be held at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center located at 4010 Parkway in Pigeon Forge near light # 8 on the right and this years’ Quilt show will be held at Boyds Bear Country located at 149 Cates Lane in Pigeon Forge just before traffic light #10 on the left. Instructors for this years Quiltfest 2005 quilting classes include Pat Campbell, Harriet Hargrave, Roberta Horton, Mary Mashuta, Judy Mathieson, Anita Shackelford, Mary Stori, Klaudeen Hansen, Shari Geissberger, Bonnie Goolsby, Polly Taylor. Mountain Quiltfest 2005 is produced by the city of Pigeon Forge and co-hosted by the Piecemakers and Sevier Valley Quilters Guilds. Admission is free to the public. Show hours are Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a Show ‘N Tell at 7:00 p.m. at Smoky Shadows Conference Center. Saturday hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information call 429-7350 or visit their website at www.mypigeonforge.com