By admin 
Martina Graham came to quilting through family tradition. Her paternal grandmother was a quilter, her maternal grandmother a crafter. Graham made her first quilt in the 1990s after her family moved to a new house, and she realized they needed a new quilt — but it proved harder to make than she expected.
Read more Are children allowed in liquor stores in CA? Bars or breweries? Learn the rules
“I realized that quilting is really more of a team sport sometimes,” Graham said. “So I decided to check out the guild and see how many people I can connect with and what I can learn from them and just enjoy the camaraderie.”
This year Graham is serving as chair and organizer of the River City Quilters’ Guild quilt show taking place Oct. 9 through Oct. 11 at the Sacramento Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
That’s where the Guild will show off its handiwork to the public with more than 200 traditional and modern quilts on display, plus displays of fiber wall art. The show will also feature demonstrations and about 20 vendors selling quilting supplies.
For Keitha Hunter, this year’s guild president, being a part of the quilting community is like being a musician.
“You know, you can do your music on your own, but there’s another joy in doing what you love with other people, and you are looking for some other people who share your interest,” Hunter said.
Hunter also hopes the show will attract new members and show younger people the joys of quilting.
“You want to draw in people of all ages…you want to expand this craft. You want to show children, you want to get young folks,” Hunter said.
“I think it’s one of those arts that has withstood time, because a lot of quilting initially was either done for very utilitarian reasons, like every last scrap of fabric that was not worn or when the knees would be worn out on the pants, or the elbows got rubbed off the shirts. The rest of the shirt might still be good, and it would be used in quilts, utilitarian quilts, quilts that would keep people warm,” Graham said.
Read more Is Prop. 38 unconstitutional? Opponents take immunology bond fight to AG
Over time, quilting became valued as its own art form. The 1970s marked a reinvigoration in quilting culture, with the introduction of specialty rulers and rotary cutters for use with modern patterns.
The Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild is a community of upwards of 120 quilters from the Sacramento area who appreciate modern quilt aesthetics. The nonprofit guild is affiliated with the national Modern Quilt Guild.
For artists like Kim Brownell, there’s no need to pick a lane between traditional and modern quilting.
“I get [inspiration] from the world around us,” Brownell said, whether it’s macaws or fish in Monterey Bay. Sometimes it’s a technique that I want to try, I’ll think, Oh, I want to try that, and then that’ll spur me on to do something, just from the world around us.”
“I think a lot of younger people are getting into (quilting) as well. I follow a couple of girls who don’t buy new fabric,” Graham said. “They get all their fabric from thrift stores, and so they don’t add to the throwaway culture, they just reuse and reimagine.”
How long it takes to make a quilt depends on the intricacy of the pattern, which might take a month or longer to create. Depending on their size, the intricacy of the pattern and materials, handmade quilts can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
A $10 ticket to this weekend’s show is good for all three days. The show opens Friday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday it closes at 3 p.m.
Read more Marshalls discount department store opens in Elk Grove at The Ridge shopping plaza
The Scottish Rite Center is located at 6151 H St, Sacramento.
For more information, visit the River City Quilters’ Guild website.
This story was originally published October 7, 2026 at 12:35 PM.