The centerpiece of the Kingdom Come Swappin’ Meetin’ has long been the quilt exhibit and contest showcasing beautiful, masterfully-stitched patchworks. During last weekend’s two-day festival, they hung in the gallery of the Godbey Appalachian Center on the SKCTC Cumberland campus.

While the festival is now in its 54th year and has seen many changes, this exhibit remains one of the more traditional and beloved events, says coordinator Theresa Osborne. “It stays consistent with the mission of the Swappin’ Meetin’: to promote and preserve mountain traditions and craftsmanship.

“The roots of the Swappin’ Meetin’ go back to celebrating our mountain heritage and art,” says Osborne, who is also SKCTC’s Appalachian Program facilitator and Appalachian Studies instructor. “The quilt exhibition was one of the events that got started early on in the festival’s history, and it has been well received through the years. It’s popular, a big attraction to the Swappin’ Meetin’, as well as the Appalachian Center here on campus, and we hope to continue it for many years to come.”

This year’s featured quilters are, according to Osborne, a “unique pair.” The quilts of sisters Barbara Ison and Bonita Pigman, both of Premium, Kentucky, were on display in the Appalachian Center Gallery both days of the festival, and the sisters were on hand to talk about their colorful creations. The sisters, who still hand quilt and hand piece, admit they have been competitive with their work since they were girls. However, their love for quilting has brought them closer together, much like the tightly-woven stiches that hold a quilt together. Barbara and Bonita learned to quilt from their mother, who made the girls their clothes from feed sacks.

The sisters looked forward to their visit and seeing their quilts on display. The fall of the year is when they begin to seriously quilt, and it’s when their fingers start threading and their creative juices start flowing.

“We are so thankful to Southeast for allowing us to showcase our talents, such as they are,” said Barbara Ison. “Quilting is an addiction! For us, it’s in our blood.”

In addition to the featured quilter display, quilters from throughout the region brought in their work to be judged and showcased.

“We are always excited to open up the gallery to show the talent and creativity of our area quilters,” Osborne says. “These folks have an eye for color and creativity, incredible skills, patience that just not anyone has, and this artform of our region is in danger of being lost. It takes time and dedication to accomplish quilting, and it takes a special kind of person to take the effort into doing this. That’s why Southeast sees the importance of preserving this ages-old tradition. We value the people who are carrying on the art form.”

As a folklorist and Appalachian studies instructor, Osborne is knowledgeable about the origins of quilting, stating that it had a practical purpose. They were made for warmth and survival, but as the years passed, quilting became a family tradition. Quilters would often add their personal, creative touches in order to make heirlooms for their families. Says Osborne, “We are a creative people, so why can’t function be pretty, too? Quilting lends itself to creativity.”