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Quilters Say Hobby Is A Real Stitch

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By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 23, 2008

USF CAMPUS - Joyce Bartholomew found a new love when her daughter ended a romantic relationship.

"When my daughter broke up with her boyfriend - this was back in 1985 in Long Island, N.Y. - she said, 'What am I going to do now?' " Bartholomew recalled. "I said, 'Let's take some quilting lessons.' "

Since then, she has perfected her skills, making quilts for family and friends. A resident of Land O' Lakes since 1998, she also encourages others to become involved with the art form.

Her passion for quilting has led to roles as co-chairwoman of the upcoming Quilt Show and incoming president of a local quilters guild.

On March 1, Bartholomew will co-chair the Quilt Show, presented by the Cypress Creek Quilters Guild. The first-time public event at the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens will include the display of more than 200 quilts made by members of the guild, a quilt boutique, speakers, authors, vendors and demonstrations.

A charity auction at 1 p.m. will feature 40 quilts, with proceeds going to Hope House, which assists people with eating disorders. The admission fee will benefit the group's education fund for speakers and workshops to expose more people to the art of quilting.

On Feb. 16, guild members brought quilts that will be in the show to the gardens and hung them on clothes lines and display racks in a trial run for the show.

The 4-year-old guild has 67 members, ranging from their 20s to their 80s.

All are women, but it has had male members, Bartholomew said. The guild, part of the Sunshine State Quilters Association and the National Quilters Association, meets monthly at the Meadow Pointe I clubhouse in Wesley Chapel.

Quilting "is a great social thing; everybody helps each other," Bartholomew said.

Sometimes guild members will have weekendlong or weeklong retreats at which they sew and talk for days, said Diane Juranko of Wesley Chapel, the other Quilt Show co-chairwoman.

Juranko, who moved to Wesley Chapel in 1995 from North Carolina, found her new love here.

"My neighbor's daughter did quilting. I saw a beautiful quilt she had made, and I started taking lessons in 1996," Juranko said.

"I like to do something from beginning to end. You have your own masterpiece. It's just a feeling that you have an accomplishment. Everyone can make the same pattern, but they look entirely different" by the choice of colors and fabrics.

Becky Dohr of Carrollwood helped with the Feb. 16 trial run, at which she hung quilts with themes related to the seasons.

"This is our life. We go to work just so we can afford our quilt habit," Dohr said.

Juranko said that quilt fabric runs from about $8 to $17 per yard.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Quilt Show

WHEN: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 1 (rain date is March 2)

WHERE: University of South Florida Botanical Gardens, 4202 E. Fowler Ave.

HOW MUCH: $5

INFORMATION: Call (813) 343-8197.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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