Several years ago, in an attempt to have more creativity in my life, I began volunteering as a seamstress for the Off Square Theatre Company.

There are a few costumes to be made from scratch, however it is mostly altering some of the wide array they have in the warehouse. The warehouse is like a candy store for textile lovers, filled with racks and rows of well-organized hats, dresses, gloves, trousers, suspenders, skirts, wigs, tuxedos, belts, vests, uniforms, an Elvis outfit complete with cape, a lion suit and bolts of fabric that make one’s fingers itch to stitch. It is a feast for the eyes and a massage for the brain. While there recently, I donned a tiara and wrapped myself in glistening deep turquoise-blue fabric edged with shiny bands of gold, instantly transformed from stower of men’s dress shoes to queen of male cobblery.

This enormously satisfying volunteer position requires trips to the thrift stores, engaging with friends and neighbors to find that certain something that will help set the scene, and trips to the fabric store for the occasional thing not available in that fabulous warehouse. It has engaged my mind to see things as sewable rather than cast-off. Items made of wonderful fabrics that no longer fit or are out of style become projects to alter or combine with a few other fabrics to create a fabulous new skirt: Poof, now I am the princess of thrift.

The mind drifts to and fro through valleys of spectacular prints adorned with clever notions, and the next thing I know I am on a first-name basis with most of the crew at Stitch’n Time. Which is good, because those ladies have a lot of sewing knowledge. But also bad, because I am worried I am becoming a sewing nerd.

Sewing nerd or not, you owe it to yourself to stop into Stitch’n Time over the next week to check out all the quilts on display for the Jackson Hole Art Quilt Show. Your head will be a-swirl with all the colors, textures, themes and sizes.

Kim Kerr and her knowledgeable ladies will be happy to walk you through the show’s 37 entries, which include quilts from members of the Jackson Hole Quilt Guild, 4-H students, snow birds, a mystery quilt by Wilma Barr, award-winning quilts from other shows and the Teton Science Schools auction quilt.

The Teton Science School auction quilt was made by quilt guild member Carole Liebzeit in 2001 and is titled Classics with a Twist. Other guild member quilts on display in the show include Kaleidoscope, Attic Window, Rose and Split 9-Patch made by Anita Nilsson; Black and Gray One Block Wonder, Wear Sunglasses at Night and The Good Twin pieced by Janet Monahan; Flower Round Robin, which was built by Monahan and other guild members; Eggs Benedict, Diamond Scones, Dutch Breakfast, Fall Disappearing 4-Patch, and a red, white and blue table runner, all lovingly stitched by Lyn Shanaghy; Space Stars and Fibonnacci Squares crafted by Sue Hebberger; Rita Miller’s Christmas Houses and Halloween Lottery, both made with lottery blocks from the Jackson Hole Quilt Festival; Annie Mueller’s handcrafted Gold One-Block Wonder; Susan Garrity’s offerings of Rose is a Rose, Abstract, Star and Sunflowers; Linda Bourret’s labors of love Butterflies, 4-Patch Posy, 3-D Flower Baskets and Christmas Lottery Block made with lottery blocks from the Jackson Hole Quilt Festival; Wilma Barr’s Grape Vine, which was pieced with other quilt guild members in a round robin; Think Cool, which was stitched by Connie Harrison in a round robin in her Arizona guild; and Sandra Brewer’s handiwork, titled Buffalo Bill, as well as one of her Christmas-themed table runners.

Summer resident and year-round sewer Kathy VanWinkle’s clever My Pieceful Village piece is on display. As is lifelong year-round valley resident Diana Brown’s gigantic quilt made of one-inch squares. The story is that Diana and her sisters, Betty Terrill and Donna Martin, spent time together making one these beautiful works of art.

The 2012 Jackson Hole Art Quilt Show is proud to hang works of art by 4-H sewers Lily and Abby Brazil: Flower Pot was crafted by Abby and Cross Quilt and a charming hand-print table runner are by Lily.

The show also includes first-place Pieced winner at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival, Pop Goes the Flower, and Best First-Time Entry winner at the 2010 Hoffman Challenge, Diva of the Sea, both by Susan Garrity and Annie Mueller.

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Ceci Clover writes weekly on the doings and doers in and around Jackson Hole. Submissions may be sent to circlingthesquare@hotmail.com or call 307-733-8348.