Muscat Quilt Guild will present its 2018 Quilt Exhibition at Bait Al Baranda from October 31. It will be formally opened at 7pm, under the auspices of H.H. Sayyida Basma Al Said, and in cooperation with the Embassy of the USA in Muscat. The Exhibition will run until November 7 (9am to 1pm and 4pm to 6pm).
The Exhibition will be preceded by a two-day workshop – Introduction to Patchwork and Quilting by Hand – on October 29 and 30, from 10am to 1pm. The bilingual workshop is designed to introduce how to both sew by hand a patchwork block and finish by hand quilting a small hanging picture or pot holder.
Also on display at the Exhibition will be a circa 1850 – 1900 quilt on loan to the Embassy of United States of America in Muscat from the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. The quilt is in the colours of green, white and red, which reflect the colours of the Omani flag; it was chosen to commemorate the upcoming National Day in mind.
Muscat Quilt Guild is a group of around 30 to 40 ladies who meet informally once a month at the Dunes Hotel for breakfast, and to discuss techniques for quilting, patch working and sewing. There is a long tradition in Oman of needlecrafts (kummah and surwals to name two) and the Omani ladies are happy to share their expertise and to see the different techniques from other countries. The monthly meetings also feature a ‘show and tell’ section, where ladies show what they have finished recently, and explain the techniques used. Several members have won awards at the Dubai International Quilt show.
The ladies of Muscat Quilt Guild have been meeting for many years, starting with meetings in one another’s houses. The Guild now has a core of Omani ladies, which is supplemented by various nationalities, including American, Irish, English and Indian. As the group grew in size, it moved to the Dunes Hotel to accommodate the larger numbers.
One of the tasks the guild set itself was to bring ladies together to make a quilt for the Oman Cancer Association and raise money by raffling it. This year’s quilt will be raffled at the end of the exhibition and will be on display at the exhibition.
