PADUCAH, Ky. (KFVS) - The annual American Quilter’s Society QuiltWeek has kicked off in western Kentucky, bringing together thousands from across the country and the world.
The event serves as a one-stop shop for all things sewing, stitching and quilting.
More than 800 quilts are on display at one of the largest quilting events in the country.
“Paducah is a creative city, you know, so to have it go beyond the boundaries of Paducah into other states and other countries makes me very proud,” said volunteer Cindy Ragland.
Ragland is serving as a quilt guard, protecting award-winning artwork while sharing the stories behind each creation.
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“This piece is 100% silk. And it was designed and created by a teacher, Molly Hamilton McNally, who is Chinese American from California. She’s a teacher. And the student is Yang Ji from China. And despite the language and the distance barriers, they created one of the best of the shows,” Ragland said.
Ragland said the level of detail and dedication separates these pieces from the rest.
“The creativity that they put into this, where they come up with the ideas and the hours and hours that they put into this is absolutely amazing,” she said.
For quilter Linda Neal, creativity is a constant process.
“I’m either planning a piece, working on a piece, or finishing a piece and then starting on the next one,” Neal said.
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“I’ve been quilting 20 years. This is my 7th quilt at AQS Paducah, and it’s my 7th ribbon,” Neal continued.
Neal said her second-place piece, titled Calm Day at the Sea, is a study in precision, patience, and passion. It took two years to make.
“I called it that because when you’re at the ocean, it’s very calm up on top, and you don’t know what’s going on underneath until you snorkel or dive. And when you look, a lot is going on,” Neal said.
With another ribbon in hand, Neal is already setting her sights on QuiltWeek 2027.
“Always fun to come to Paducah. Always fun to win,” she said.
The event will continue through Saturday, April 25, at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention and Expo Center.
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