Fun Facts and the Festival of Quilts

Fun Facts and the Festival of Quilts

To celebrate Cunningham's Festival of Quilts, which takes place April 10 and 11, we'd like to share some fun quilting facts: 
 
1. Visitors to the Festival enjoy both hand and machine-quilted pieces from antique to contemporary designs which are on loan for the quilt show. Are you proud of a favorite quilt you made? Want to display your grandmother's heirloom quilt? More information about showing your quilt can be found HERE.
 
2. According to dictionary.com, the word quilt dates back to 1250 or so. The term in Middle English was quilte, based on an old French word cuilte derived from the Latin word, culcita, meaning a stuffed sack! No matter what you call them, the quilts that are sold at Festival help accomplish Cunningham's mission to provide hope to kids who need it the most.
 
3. The Festival attracts more than 1,000 visitors every year. Did you know there are 21 million quilters in the US, predominately female and average age is 62.
 
4. The world's largest historical quilt is located in Antler, ND. It is 11,390 square feet and depicts the state. It's been certified by The Guinness Book of World Records. Although not record breaking, three of the crowd pleasers for this year's Festival of Quilts include quilts from:
* children who attend the after school program at Illiopolis United Methodist Church (we call the quilt "Kids Helping Kids").
* members of the Orange Krush (it's made from Krush t-shirts).
* our Festival of Quilts Committee as a way to recognize Cunningham's 120th Anniversary.