It was a snowy, blustery day this past March when an old friend and I decided to take in the 2nd Annual Amish County Quilt Show, held in Holmes County.

Jennifer and I have been pals since high school, and our friendship was recently renewed upon her return to this area from Texas (along with her husband and two young children). Jen has a love of country crafts and homemade treasures, so I knew she would jump at the chance to view some handcrafted quilts.

The show was held at two separate locations - 'Tis the Season (Ohio's largest year round Christmas shoppe) and the Dutch Harvest Restaurant, both near Berlin. The itinerary included numerous classes, workshops and lectures, held over several days. Because we would have Jen's youngsters in tow (son Taylor, almost four, and daughter Kenna, nineteen months), we decided to view the quilts on display at 'Tis the Season only.

Upon our arrival at 'Tis the Season, we were given thick booklets containing information about each quilt, written by the quilters themselves. As we strolled about the three-floored display, we were awed (even Taylor!) by the timeless beauty of the quilts, ranging in size from quaint wallhangings to expansive, king-sized masterpieces.

We marvelled at the craftsmanship, wondering aloud at the number of hours represented by all these creations! Each quilt's name seemed to say it all - Stained Glass Window, Grandpa's Bow Tie, Dogwood, Hummingbird, Cleopatra's Fan, The Wedding Star, Down on the Farm, Autumn Leaves, Out of the Sea, Gold Fish Pond.

Many of the quilts also seemed to represent journeys - both literal and figurative - in the quilters' lives. These quilts had names like Life is a Challenge, Stroll Down Memory Lane and A Journey with Mom Dad through Amish Country. Others commemorated significant events, such as Mother's 80th Birthday Quilt.

As we rounded a corner on the lower level of the store, Taylor let out a small gasp. In front of us was a large quilt awash in various shades of brown, green and gold. In the center of the quilted field was an elaborate appliqu of a red tractor.

Mom, look at this one!

Taylor, a farming enthusiast, couldn't contain his excitement.

Jen and I exchanged knowing glances as we continued to steer Taylor and Kenna around the store, pausing to experience each quilt. As we neared the end of the display, we could tell the kids were ready for something new - like lunch!

We headed to the Dutch Harvest (right down the road, past Berlin), where we were seated near a large window overlooking the snow-dusted countryside. We commented more than once on the great view as we looked over the menus. Our gracious server attended briskly to our every need, starting us off with a basket of hot, homemade rolls (which lasted all of five minutes). Jen and I opted for the salad bar, which was crisp, fresh and featured a selection of four hot soups - perfect fare considering the snowy weather. At our server's recommendation, we both tried the Stuffed Pepper soup, a hearty tomato-based concoction of rice, beef, peppers and spices. Kenna munched happily on some finger foods. Taylor chose a corn dog and french fries from the children's menu, then proceeded to eat his applesauce with his knife. Kids!

After a rather leisurely meal, we paused to browse the wares in the restaurant's gift shop area, which displayed candles and home decor items. We knew the restaurant was hosting another part of the quilt show - a one-woman extravaganza, in fact! Shirley Stutz of Lore City, Ohio (in Guernsey County)has been a quilter since 1983 and has won many prestigious awards. As one of the featured artists for the show, Stutz was on hand to guide visitors through a three-day exhibit of her quilts and teach a class entitled Freedom Curves.

While we would have liked to view these quilts as well, our young companions had seen enough quilts for one day - we could tell their attention spans had taken them as far as they could go!

As we piled into the car, bound for home, we pledged to return next year (in March 2003) to view more beautiful patterns, swirling colors and inspiring scenes - all made by hand, and in an equally important way, by heart.

- Some information taken from an article appearing in the Daily Record in 3/02. (Oct. 2002)