The Millbrook Needlers’ Quilt Guild held our inaugural Quilt Show & Sale “Piecing Lives Together” on May 9 and 10, 2025 at the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre in Millbrook, Ontario. Our members still can’t quite believe we did it!

(Above: Carolyn Bierworth’s quilt, designed by Judy Niemeyer of Quiltworx, won Best in Show)

Organizing a quilt show is a big undertaking; pulling together our first quilt show is a daunting project, especially for a small guild with just 60 members. While it took a great deal of work, it paid off with very positive comments, an attendance well beyond our expectations and a tidy profit at the end.

The most often asked question was why would such a small guild host a quilt show? Were we crazy to take it on? Would anyone come to our first show? Would we lose money, dipping into the already small assets of the guild? Would members be able to carry the load required?

Our approach could serve as a guide for other guilds brave enough to host their own shows. Here is how we pulled it off.

The Guild’s new President, Cathy Vickers, had a vision and floated the idea at one of her first meetings. Some months later, after much discussion and a positive vote by members, the group decided to proceed and the hard work began.

Building the team

Cathy and two members, Shirley Challice and Susan Salusbury, formed a Steering Committee. Next, we began the process of looking for an appropriate venue and defining necessary tasks. We asked members to volunteer for various positions on an organizing committee. In May 2024, the organizing committee held our first meeting.

From the start, members of the Guild responded with enthusiasm. We quickly populated several committees as volunteers: Quilt Registration, Tea Room, Gift Basket and Member’s Boutique. All would drive the success of the show since we had no difficulty finding volunteers to work in these areas.

A volunteer coordinator stepped forward and began the task of defining where and when she needed volunteers. Another member chose the job of securing vendors for the show. She also aligned with a few charity organizations like Quilts for Cancer and Millbrook Community Care. At the first organizing committee meeting, guild members defined the entire show with all of these aspects. We also added a Feature Quilter and an antique quilts display.

Choosing the venue

As for a venue, the Cavan Monaghan Community Centre had opened just a few years previously. Our main attractions were the NHL-sized arena, plus the availability of a kitchen and community hall for the tea room. Our location, just north of Millbrook south just off Hwy 115.

The final positive put this venue over the top in our estimation. Windows all around the second floor bathe the arena in natural, but not direct, light. The extremely positive staff were a huge support to the guild’s effort.

Over the next months, the various committees solicited donations from members for the members’ boutique and 65 gift baskets. Overwhelmed by the support, both of these areas ended up with an abundance of items.

Preparations continued, with updates at every guild meeting. Last-minute issues arose and we dealt with each one, such as how to transport the quilt frames to the venue.

Soon, set-up day arrived!

Featured quilter, Shirley Challice, presented an astonishing display of more than 40 quilts, mostly queen and king size. Her quilts dazzled from stands and on the glass walls at one end of the arena.

The guild filled the arena with more than 180 quilts, accessories and wearables. The glass wall at the other end of the arena held 15 quilts from our Block of the Month program.

On the arena floor, we welcomed 13 vendors, Quilts for Cancer, our own Comfort Quilt Program and Millbrook Community Care. Cathy had donated a quilt to Community Care. During the show, our volunteers sold raffle tickets and the proceeds of the sale contributed to our fundraising efforts.

The Millbrook Needlers’ Quilt Guild was blessed with fantastic weather for all three days; sunshine and warm temperatures contributed to the festive atmosphere. Members of the Guild showed up, worked hard and contributed in every way possible.

Although our members may have questioned this venture, the momentum kept us moving forward to our goal. We developed a team spirit, learned from each other and discovered generosity and a giving spirit. Additionally, we showcased the amazing talents of our guild members in a marvelous venue.

What was the outcome?

Success, in every way. We impressed our guests with the venue, quilts, displays, tea room, boutique, baskets and antique quilt display. We were also left in awe of the work of our feature quilter.

We had budgeted our show based on attendance of 600. In the end, we hosted more than 1,000 guests, making it well worth the effort.

The real benefit, though, was the opportunity to work with members of the guild. Together, we created memories which we will long remember and a legacy of which we can be proud.

Will we do it again? Perhaps. We need a bit of time to step back and just enjoy what we accomplished. A wrap-up meeting following the show produced a wealth of information about how to put on a successful quilt show, so who knows?

The membership will again decide, but regardless, we are glad we did it!