WENTWORTH - Looking around at the 100 or so quilts adorning Wentworth United Church, Marie Duranceau and Twila McMaster seem a little surprised at what hard-working volunteers can bring together.
The Wentworth United Church Women (UCW) hosted its annual quilt fair at the church on Aug. 19-20, drawing in quilts and people from all over in conjunction with the regional Wild Blueberry Festival.
"We've had two great days," said Duranceau, one of several committee members that put on the event. "It's been excellent. I don't know how many guests we've had, because we haven't had a chance to tally it up yet, but we did very well."
Now in its fourth year, the quilt fair has become better known over the past few years, and it has, in turn, brought more and more people each year.
"People know we do this, and the other guilds are aware of us, so everyone spreads the word around," she explained, as the quilt fair neared its conclusion on Thursday afternoon.
Quilts of countless colours and designs were draped over all the pews in the cozy, country church, as visitors milled around the room, some buying quilts, others just admiring. Displayers this year came from all over Cumberland County.
One special feature of this year's fair was a display of heritage quilts from the Wentworth area, by Diane Shink, one of only a handful of appraisers in Canada, who lives in Montreal and summers in Wentworth.
"Diane has been displaying all over the place," said McMaster. "Some of her work is also on display at the Museum of Industry in Stellarton. She displays all summer, and she did this to honour her family roots here in Wentworth."
Sandy Rice, a shop owner from River John, was also on hand to display her products, such as quilting and embroidering machines, while Marilyn Rudolph of Everything Blueberries also took part, as did several local sponsors.
Commercial displayers were available in the basement of the church, where the popular luncheon took place, thanks to the work of the many volunteers, who were working full tilt from 8 .m. to 5 p.m.
"It's all part and parcel, I guess. If you want to have a good show, you have to put the work out," said Duranceau.
"The ladies in the kitchen have been running their buns off for the last couple days."
The work seemed to be paying off. Visitors included not only local residents, but tourists and summer residents from as far off as Texas, Ontario and Vancouver Island.
Members of the quilt fair planning committee included Marie Duranceau, Twila McMaster, Martha Wilson, Betty Duizer, Velma Redmond and Jan Smith.
