Granville Quilt Festival to feature needle artists

By Submitted to The Democrat

Sep 28, 2012 5:30 pm

Quilts are comforting, practical and a quintessential American art form.

The 12th annual Granville Quilt Festival, set for Oct. 6 at the historic Granville United Methodist Church, will honor quilting artist Anna Mai Lankford, of Carthage. She will have many of her quilts on display in the altar of the church.

Lankford was a first-grade teacher and attended an Extension “Quilt in a Day” workshop in 1992. From there, she was hooked on quilting. She has now made more than 20 quilts with her favorite quilt patterns "Windmill," "Dutch Doll" and "Bow Tie" expressing her love for old quilt patterns.

She has won several best-of-show awards in the Family and Community Education Club Contest. She has had several quilts win in the county, region and state contest in cultural arts. She has had a number of quilts that have won at the Smith County Fair, Gainesboro Poke Salat Festival and Granville Quilt Festival. She was also a part of the group of ladies that quilted a beautiful quilt for the Jamie Evitts Scholarship Fundraiser that sold for more than $5,000.

Anna Mai is married to Smith County educator Wayne Lankford, and they have three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She also has a love for gardening, especially flowers.

The show will also honor the late Madge Haile of Flynn’s Lick, and her quilts will be on display as well. Both ladies will be honored at the opening ceremony on Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. at Pruett Stage, which is part of the Sutton Homestead. This year’s show is sponsored by Ben and Janice Lynch.

Quilts may be entered for competition Oct. 4 at Wilson Bank & Trust at 623 West Main St. in Lebanon from 1-3 p.m. and Oct. 5 at the Granville United Methodist Church from 1-3 p.m.

For more information, call Peggy Clemons at 615-444-2975.