Submitted by Joyce Higginbotham, Show Chairman

The show is growing every year in quality of entries and events within the show as we welcomed visitors from 21 states and 2 Canadian Provinces. We received many calls from people in other states who planned trips to the area around a visit to our show and several purchased multi-day wristbands.

This year we had 72 quilt and 38 needlework entries in a wide variety of categories. There were 13 vendors, who were busy all weekend with eager shoppers.

The quilt appraiser, Terri Holloway from Kingman, AZ, was busy all weekend doing appraisals and she will be back next year. Several quilters offered informational talks and demonstrations of quilt and needlework techniques.

The Bed Turning has become a very popular feature of the show and Lynn McDonald received 25 quilts to display and narrate their stories.

Our Featured Quilter was Snookie Beatty, who was available every day to talk about and show her beautiful quilts.

Kristen Stokes & Jane Bailey outdid themselves this year with a wide array of items in the Silent Auction and also numerous door prizes given out every day.

We had so many wonderful compliments on the show and more than one person mentioned how surprised they were to discover such a professional show in the middle of this small desert community. Word of mouth has been our best form of advertising but we continue to expand our reach through paid and free advertising in quilt publications and websites.

Our stunning Southwest Splendor opportunity quilt was won by Claudia Fetcho of Pahrump, along with matching pillow shams and a custom crafted quilt rack. The quilt was designed by Snookie Beatty, Lonna Ahrendt & Lynn McDonald with many of the Shadow Mountain Quilters piecing blocks, and machine quilting was beautifully stitched by Darla Holt. This quilt was appraised at $8,000. Our 2014 opportunity quilt was not available at show time but will be appraised at the April quilt show in Henderson where we will begin selling tickets.

Visitors to the show had an opportunity to vote for their favorite entries. The winners of the Viewer’s Choice quilt awards were 1st – Betty Gavere for “Fantasy Garden” and 2nd – Judy Toll for “The Orchids are Where the Cats Play,” the needlework awards were won by 1st – Bonnie Powers for her embroidered “Heron” and 2nd – Snookie Beatty for “Cat with Books on Shelf.” Our unique, one-of-a-kind homemade award ribbons were a hit for the third year.

Best of Show awards went to Jan Pendleton for the quilt “Star Prancer” and to Barbara Griffith for the embroidery “Spring in the Village.” Both Judges’ Choice awards were given to Bonnie Beatty for her quilt “Tranquility” as well as for the “Coiled Bowl” soft sculpture.

Special thanks go to two local donors, Valley Electric Association and the Pahrump Valley Winery.

We also thank the Pahrump Valley Times & the Mirror for coverage of the show. In addition, thanks go to Skip Higginbotham for building more quilt racks with help from Pahrump Rentals & Hardware; to Mike Cosgrove for donating the beautiful custom quilt rack that accompanied the opportunity quilt; to the Show Committee: Lonna Ahrendt, Jane Bailey, Snookie Beatty, Victoria Brazzle, Lynn McDonald, Nancy Shallenberger, Sue Stephenson, Kristen Stokes and Sonia Wittenberg; and to our many donors and volunteers without whom we would not have been able to present such a wonderful show.

Planning for the 2014 show has begun with the theme “Walk on the Wild Side” and sales of another spectacular quilt will begin at the Henderson quilt show April 26-28.

We hope to see you at our show next year.

(More photos on PAC Flickr)