Patchwork of Passion: Hope Quilters’ Guild to Host 2025 Show & Sale at Hempstead Hall

HOPE, AR — The Hope Quilters’ Guild invites the public to its much-anticipated “History in Patchwork” Show & Sale, taking place October 10–11, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day at Hempstead Hall, located on the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana campus. This bi-annual event, now held in odd-numbered years following a pandemic-related shift in 2020, will feature 120 to 125 quilts—a vibrant display of craftsmanship, creativity, and community spirit. Some quilts will be judged, others simply admired, and several will be available for purchase. Admission is free, and attendees can enjoy door prizes, vendor booths, and the opportunity to vote for the Viewer’s Choice award.

A special raffle quilt will also be featured, with tickets priced at $1 each or 6 for $5. The drawing will be held on Saturday, and winners need not be present.

Guild president Barbara Gilbert, a seasoned seamstress who has crafted wedding gowns and formal wear, describes quilting as “a passion and a continuing process.” She, along with fellow quilters Melissa Tewalt and Janna Fisher (owner of Sew Fancy), emphasized the creative pause that often precedes a quilt’s completion—a moment of reflection and inspiration.

The Hope Quilters’ Guild, with 30 members including one male quilter, meets monthly at the University of Arkansas Southwest Research and Extension Center (362 74 North, Hope), known locally as “the experiment station,” on the first Monday at 7:00 PM—except when holidays like Labor Day shift the meeting to Tuesday. Annual dues are just $10.

Quilting, Gilbert says, is a family-shared heritage, inspired by her grandmother’s hand-stitched group quilts. Tewalt’s own journey began by driving her mother, now a long-time guild member, to meetings after her mother’s vision declined. It was her mother’s passion that inspired her, but a love for the art of quilting that keeps her motivated to create the next quilt.

The guild also gives back: Each Veterans Day, members donate quilts to Hempstead County veterans, honoring service through stitches.

As Gilbert puts it, “Quilting is somewhat of an obsession”—a sentiment echoed by many in the quilting world. With the rise of modern sewing machines and global interest, quilting remains a thriving art form, rooted in tradition and stitched with love.