YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - “Painting with fabric.” That’s how Pat May, this year’s featured quilter at the Yuba-Sutter Valley Quilt Guild’s 43rd annual quilt show, described the intricate art form.

“People don't realize what we as quilters produce. I mean some of this stuff is really nice and there's so many decisions to make,” said May as she stood in front of three of her most popular works - a wolf, rooster and flamingo. “These were all hand appliqué down with what they call the freezer paper method. The design starts out in grayscale, and then you define it with movement in your quilt and the object, or whatever you're doing.”

May’s designs included near photo-realistic representations of animals and country life, as well as optical illusion designs such as her quilt titled “Dancing with the Stars,” which won both a first-place ribbon and the Judge’s Choice award.

Visitors browse handmade quilts, fabrics and crafting supplies from vendors during the Yuba-Sutter Valley Quilt Guild’s annual quilt show March 7 at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City. The event serves as the guild’s largest annual fundraiser. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

“This gives you the illusion of round, but all of it is straight,” said Sandra Torres, this year’s quilt show chair. “Based on the way you lay the fabric and the way it's sewn, you get the appearance of a circle, which is extremely hard - but all of this is straight stitched and straight pieces.”

This year’s exhibition took place March 7-8 at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City with the theme “Three-Part Harmony.” Each year, guild members can participate in a special quilt challenge inspired by the show’s theme.

For this challenge, quilters were asked to create a 30-by-30-inch quilt reflecting some aspect of music while incorporating the colors red, black, white and gray in any combination.

“When you think of harmony on the music side of the house, you think of vocal ranges and instruments all blending together for a beautiful sound,” said Torres. “But when you think of parts of a quilt, whether it be the color and the layout and then the quilting stitches, they all come together to make it beautiful for the eyes.”

A quilt honoring firefighters is displayed as part of the “Avenue of Honor” exhibit during the Yuba-Sutter Valley Quilt Guild’s annual quilt show March 7 at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City. The guild created 25 quilts this year recognizing local veterans and first responders. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

That concept was reflected in many of the challenge quilt entries, as well as in this year’s Opportunity Quilt titled “Harmony,” designed by Nancy Rink, which one lucky raffle ticket holder had the chance to take home.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Torres. “And the proceeds help us support the guild as well as helping local cancer patients, foster youth and dialysis patients.”

This year's quilt show featured nearly 300 entries, with 65 ribbons awarded. While some quilts followed the challenge’s color scheme, others featured bold textures, vibrant fabrics and kaleidoscopic patterns. One standout entry, “The Circle Game” by Kathleen Soga, showcased a rainbow-like geometric design that created the illusion of a circle in the center using only straight lines. The quilt earned a first-place ribbon along with the guild’s Best of Show award.

A longarm quilting machine stitches decorative patterns into a quilt during a demonstration at the Yuba-Sutter Valley Quilt Guild’s annual quilt show March 7 at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in Yuba City. Photo by Shamaya Sutton.

“I was at the judging and she stood in front of it and the first word out of her mouth was, three of them, and it was ‘Wow, wow, wow,’” Torres recalled. “This one keeps your eye moving. She’s got her florals straight into the straight stitches into loops and feathers and pebbles, which is very hard to do.”

One of the most moving aspects of the exhibition was the Avenue of Honor, a display of quilts created to represent veterans, military members and local first responders. The 25 quilts were presented to selected recipients during a special ceremony Sunday afternoon honoring their service to the community.

“It's quite a tear-jerker, especially to us ladies who have been wives to a veteran or first responder,” said Torres.

For some attendees, the quilt show served as a chance to reconnect with family and friends over a shared hobby. For others, it offered an eye-opening glimpse into an artistic medium often overlooked by younger generations. For more information about the guild or upcoming programs, visit valleyquiltguild.com.