Kathy Zimbicki, from Gaylord, also won in the King/Queen category with this Double Wedding Ring quilt

Kathy Zimbicki, from Gaylord, won with Grace’s Quilt in the Crib/Wall Hanging category.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor even ice, kept people away from the 6^th annual Quilt Show put on by the Cedar Springs Friends of the Library last Saturday, April 14. The show was held in the Cedar Springs Middle School gym, and according to Kaye Nimphie, President of the Cedar Springs Friends of the Library, 99 people showed up to attend the show.

Nimphie explained that the quilt show had 43 quilts entered with Viewer’s Choice winners in four categories. Kathy Zimbicki, from Gaylord, won with Grace’s Quilt in the Crib/Wall Hanging category and in the King/Queen category with a Double Wedding Ring quilt. Amy Ortego, from Rockford, won in the Full/Twin category with her Rooken quilt and in the Table Topper/Tote category with her Confident Beginner submission. 

Amy Ortego, from Rockford, won in the Table Topper/Tote category with her Confident Beginner submission.

Amy Ortego, from Rockford, won in the Full/Twin category with this Rooken quilt.

The Friends raised $1,444 for the Library, which will be spent on various library programs.

If anyone is interested in joining the CS Friends of the Library, please call the CS Public Library at 696-1910. “We would welcome you with open arms,” said Nimphie. 

She said they meet five times a year and currently hold four fundraising events per year.

On Friday and Saturday, November 11-12, the Friends of the Cedar Springs Library had a huge, blow-out, let-it-go, fundraising book sale! All books were $0.25 or $1 for a bag, including hardcovers. Local citizens poured into the Senior Center on Park and Elm Streets to scoop up the bargains. The regular Red Flannel Day book sale, postponed due to rainy weather, had to happen at some point to unload the overburdened storage unit before winter set in. With the blessing of a sunny day and unusually warm temperatures, over one-half of the books were sold, bringing in $375 for the 15-hour sale. The Friends saw many smiles as some walked out of the building with their $1 bag stuffed with 6-9 paperbacks. Many readers are set for the winter!

Saturday, March 18, is the Friends next fundraising event for the new library—their annual Quilt Show held at the Cedar Springs Middle School. Raffle tickets are on sale at the Library, $1 for one ticket or $5 for 6. If you are thinking about Christmas, the Library has 4×8 bricks for sale for $50, 8×8 bricks for $100 and larger retaining wall blocks on sale for $1,000. Think about getting a brick or block in the name or memory of your family or friends, a gift that will keep on giving. Contact the Library for more information (616-696-1910) or print out an application form from the Library’s website: cedarspringslibrary.org.

All proceeds go toward the new library fund

This quilt, shown by Barb Grutter, will be raffled off at the Cedar Springs Friends of the Library quilt show on March 19. Get your tickets at the library.

At the January 26th meeting of the CS Friends of the Library, Friend’s member Barb Grutter, of Garden Path Quilts, unveiled the gorgeous quilt that will be raffled off for the upcoming Friends Annual Quilt Show fundraiser on Saturday, March 19, 10am-4pm.

According to Friends President Louise King, the pieced blocks were made by several women throughout the community and Barb Grutter appliqued  the center design by hand. Louise put together the border applique by machine.

If anyone would like to display their quilts at the quilt show, they can get a form from the Cedar Springs Public Library, Luv2Quilt on 14 mile Road or from Barb Grutter, email (barb@gardenpathquilts.com). There is a registration fee of $10 for the first quilt and $5 for each additional up to 3 quilts. They are also accepting quilts for a separate antique quilts category. There will be prizes awarded for first, second and third place Viewers Choice, and first place Viewers Choice for the antique quilts. Quilt owners should not submit quilts that have been in the show previously.

The event also hosts a silent auction, vendors with craft-related merchandise, prizes, a quilting garage sale, and a raffle for a chance to win the donated quilt. Raffle tickets (1 ticket for $1 or 6 for $5) are on sale now at the Cedar Springs Library. There is a $2 admission fee to the show.

All proceeds from the show will go toward the new library fund.