The 27th Holiday Home Tour & Boutique took place on Saturday, December 2nd. The annual event is a celebration of the holiday season wrapped up with the artistic craftsmanship of quilting. The Pine Needles Quilt Guild organization thoughtfully coordinated an eclectic mix of four houses on the tour, each decked out in the Christmas spirit. While the holiday decorations amazed visitors, it was the miraculous quilts that were displayed throughout the homes that really stunned the guests.
Quilts of all shapes, colors, and sizes could be seen draped over furniture, hung over banisters, and even displayed in some of the bathrooms to cover almost every inch of the homes. Just as each home is unique and distinct from the other houses in the tour, so are the various quilts that were presented inside.
One of the cabin homes exhibited several nature-inspired quilts, including a large blanket of intricate patterns and colors that were stitched together to depict a giant Joshua Tree. Upstairs, an impressive vintage bird quilt was spread out to showcase 48 embroidered birds representing each state. Since the quilt was made prior to 1959, 2 birds were seemingly missing for Alaska and Hawaii, which had yet to join the Union.
The Wrightwood Community Arts Center & Gallery was also included as an “unofficial home” on the tour, where they displayed some of the more unique and rare quilts. The impressive artwork included a quilt made entirely from men’s ties created by Carol Gaines and a quilt depicting the inspiring Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy, which Pine Needles Quilt Guild Chairperson Marlene Bowman made.
The Wrightwood Community Building was also bustling with artists. Inside the building was a packed holiday boutique with artisans and vendors selling handmade bags, blankets, ornaments, candles, and even decorations for the holiday season. This year, cookies and refreshments were offered at the community building to help fuel the visitors’ travels through Wrightwood to the various holiday homes on the map.
The Holiday Home Tour is the Pine Needles Quilt Guild’s biggest fundraiser, which provides funds for quilting workshops and guest speakers throughout the year. If you are interested in becoming a member or want to learn more about getting involved, then be sure to attend a Pine Needles Quilt Guild meeting, which is held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm in the Wrightwood Community Building at 1275 Hwy 2 in Wrightwood.
