Brighten day with quilt display at Monroeville Public Library

Winter weather can tend to be on the dreary side, but not necessarily for visitors to Monroeville Public Library.

The Creative Quilters group has an exhibit through Jan. 25 in the library’s Gallery Space, featuring a variety of fascinating fabrics that are based on a assortment of themes.

“We meet monthly and select ‘challenges,’ a subject that people can work around,” group coordinator Marlene Fenoglietto of Monroeville said.

For the library display, challenges include “follow the yellow line,” with several members using their imaginations to elaborate on the basic idea. Another is “upcycling” the fabric most closely associated with bluejeans, as Sally Martin demonstrates with her “Gum Leaves: A Study in Denim.”

Three quilters contributed to a piece reflecting social issues: Harriet Buckley, “Black Lives Matter,” Karen Luce, “Suffrage”; and Eleny Maul, “Stop the Killing.”

Fenoglietto’s pieces with the self-explanatory titles “King of Beasts” and “The Hiker” are among the favorites of Diane Lindsey, Friends of Monroeville Public Library president, who is promoting the quilters’ overall work as a cure for winter blues:

“It could certainly brighten up some gloomy January days!”

For folks who are interested in one-of-a-kind quilts, most of the pieces are for sale, and a majority of those are listed at $75.

The library has hosted the work of Creative Quilters twice in the past as part of a revolving series of displays in the Gallery Space.

“It’s a wonderful asset,” library director Nicole Henline said. “People love coming in to see all the local artists, plus it gives the opportunity for us to showcase local artists.”

Located next to the library’s main entrance, the Galley Space also offers an inviting area for a variety of programs, including live music.

Creative Quilters usually meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month at New Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2225 Grandview Ave., Monroeville. Members share an interest in exploring their inventiveness.

“We try to practice different techniques. They’re not the common quilting techniques,” Fenoglietto explained.

As a sub-group of the larger Quilt Company East Quilt Guild, Creative Quilters is participating in the guild’s annual show. This year’s theme is “Going in Circles,” and the event is scheduled from July 13-15 at Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish, 245 Azalea Drive, Monroeville. The deadline for entering a quilt is May 19.

For more information about the guild, visit www.quiltcoeast.org.