The Clamshell Quilters will host quilter and collector Mary Lou Newstead for a trunk show of her vintage quilts at our May 11 meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Faith Baptist Church at 144 Mill Road in Newcastle. She will share her personal quilt story and display some of her own quilt projects as well.

Newstead started quilting 40 years ago. Her interest in older quilts began when her grandmother gave her a stack of quilt blocks she had made in the 1930s. After completing quilts from those, Newstead began collecting unfinished quilts and vintage blocks at flea markets and tag sales, always looking for hand pieced works. Though she had made quilts from scratch with new fabric, it was the vintage pieces with their fascinating fabrics, rich texture, and stories to tell that became her focus. She hand quilts all of her projects.

Everyone is welcome to join us. Members and visitors are invited to bring their own antique (old) quilts and sewing notions and to share their own quilting stories. It promises to be a fascinating evening.