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Fashion meets quilting at The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show
June 30, 2025 Leave a Comment
Celebrating the colorful artistry and incredible talent of quilters, The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show is an annual event in Madison, Wisconsin, co-hosted by PBS Wisconsin and Nancy Zieman Productions, Sept. 4-6, 2025.
New to The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show this year, quilters and sewists of all skill levels are invited to participate in a Quilted Fashion Challenge. Participants can submit any garment or accessory they created with quilting fabric and materials to be exhibited at the event, then join us Saturday, Sept. 6, for a fun-filled fashion show on stage.
Suzanne Myers Otto shows off her quilt, “Daisy Cat” and her handmade outfit at the 2024 Quilt Show.
This exhibit and light-hearted fashion show encourages quilters and sewists to have fun and cheer each other on as they walk the runway.
Many quilters started their quilting journey sewing garments, and over the years, The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show organizers have noticed attendees displaying their talents and expressing themselves through fashion.
“There have been a growing number of attendees who come to The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show in quilted outfits, and we love to see people having fun in different ways with fabric,” said expo manager Amanda Balistreri. “We have even seen people in outfits that match their quilt!”
Marlene Beeler displays her outfit that coordinated with her 2024 entry, “Water Garden,” quilted by Louise Klare.
Whatever your skill level, the Quilted Fashion Challenge is a way for everyone to showcase their garment-making skills, and event organizers are excited to give everyone a dedicated place at the event for it.
“The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show’s founder, Nancy Zieman, was an amazing seamstress and quilter, and this challenge is a great way to showcase both skills,” said Deanna Springer, vice president of marketing at Nancy Zieman Productions. “It is a great way to flex your creative muscles, perhaps try something new and have fun!”
Megan Vandenberg poses with a model who wears her crafted robe.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show hosts additional challenges leading up to the event, including an annual Kids’ Quilt Challenge, open to youth ages 15 and under.
Entry forms and either the garment or accessory for the Quilted Fashion Challenge and quilt for the Kids’ Quilt Challenge must be received by Aug. 9, 2025.
Tickets and class registration to The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show are available now!
