Quiltwalker

My gosh the wind is blowing hard today. It's surely bringing in a storm. I hope we don't get too much snow. I still have 2" of ice on the back deck! This is my first attempt at a blog and I am really excited. I read blogs all the time and I have learned so much. So to be part of the blogging community is really exciting.

I am one of three chairman for the Panguitch Quilt Walk Festival that is held in Panguitch, Utah the second weekend in June. This is our 12th year and a very exciting year for us. Check out our website www.quiltwalk.com and see what we are doing. Lots of classes, trunk shows, quilt show, historic home tour, dinner theater are just a few of our fun events!

The Panguitch Quilt Walk was started to commemorate the historic event that saved the pioneers that settled Panguitch in 1864. The winter was long and the wheat had frozen in the fields. Food was running low and families were starving. Seven men volunteered to take a wagon and a team of oxen from Panguitch over the mountain to Parowan. They made it about 10 miles out of town when they realized the snow was too deep and they couldn't go any further.

They were at a loss as to what to do. They pulled some quilts out of the wagon, spread them on the ground and knealt in prayer. After they finished their prayer they realized that they had not sunk into the snow while kneeling on their quilts. They left the wagon and oxen and set out walking and when they couldn't get through the snow they would spread their quilts out and walk across them. Leap frogging them the remaining 30 miles to Parowan and the 40 miles back to Panguitch, saving their families from certain doom. It is recorded in the familes diaries and a very important event in Panguitch history.

This year we are really excited about our festival because we have been raising money for a statue and this year it is going to be dedicated during the Quilt Walk Festival. Stan Johnson from Parowan is our sculptor and has done a magnificent job. It is headed to the foundry in Lehi shortly. I can't believe this is really coming to fruition.