Without a doubt, it is the most colorful event of the year at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum.

The Peninsula Quilt Guild is gearing up for its 28th annual show. The event opens at 10 a.m. March 14 and runs through the weekend. Admission is free.

Quilt show chairman Vicki Davis said there will be 105 quilts on display. A new category, temporarily called “Miscellaneous,” will showcase jackets, vests, tote bags and other items that don’t fit the quilt category. 

One exhibit will showcase Gloria Bags. Longtime Guild member Gloria Park designed the bag to carry quilts and has taught many classes on how to make it. “Almost all our members have made one, and we will have many of them hanging for people to see how different one pattern can turn out,” Davis said.

Park is delighted at her design’s success; the bags are 24 by 17 inches wide and 9 inches deep. “Everyone has their own ‘stamp’ on it, with different colors and fabrics, and some like pockets,” she said. “When I have taught a class, you can make it in a day — as long as you follow the directions and have everything ready.”

Patterns will be available to purchase in the museum gift shop.

The raffle quilt is from a pattern called Rainbow Alaska. Teresa Collins and Terry Weeks marshaled Guild members to sew the pieces together for the top. It was quilted by Beth Riesen.

“Teresa and I began choosing fabric while we had sale fabric available,” Weeks said. “The pattern described the colors as margarita, wine, lagoon, oyster, guacamole, etc. We collected all the fabric in about 30 minutes for a cost of $27. That will be difficult to replicate.”

The small Challenge Quilts will have the theme “Daffodils.” The best are selected at the Guild’s March meeting ahead of the show and will be displayed with their winning ribbons. The museum will display them again during its April event, Driftwood and Daffodils.

Davis said Guild members are pleased to be bringing back an old show tradition of having demonstrations throughout the weekend. “Members will show different techniques of quilting and be available to answer questions from the public,” she said.

There will be two free drawings for new quilters. At noon Sunday, the Guild will award a new sewing machine, and at 2 p.m., leaders will award a sewing kit. For these prizes, ticket holders must be present to win. The show closes at 3 p.m. Sunday, an hour earlier than Friday and Saturday.

The group meets year-round at the Peninsula Senior Activity Center in Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula and has an active Facebook page.

Its members support several charities and have made donations to food banks in Washington, food banks in Ocean Park, Ilwaco and Chinook, the Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center in Long Beach and the Pacific County Humane Society.

Peninsula Quilt Guild

28th annual show

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, 115 Lake St., Ilwaco, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14 and 15 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 16. Free admission.

www.columbiapacificheritagemuseum.org