Old Bristol Historical Society to Host Quilting Events

Old Bristol Historical Society will host Jenna Guest, of Carpenter Quilts, for two free events this summer.

Her first presentation on Saturday, June 27 is titled “Historic Quilts Show and Tell.” Guest will be displaying antique quilts owned by families in Bristol and Lincoln County. There will be planned pattern quilts along with scrappy quilts with some dating back to the 19th century. Guest will also speak about how quilts have been made and used in Maine for the last 200-plus years.

This show-and-tell will be at 11 a.m. at the historic old mill at the historical society’s campus, at 2089 Bristol Road (Route 130) in Pemaquid. Attendees who have historic quilts are invited to share them.

Guest’s second presentation on Saturday, July 11 is titled “Morning Children’s Hour.” At 9 a.m., there will be an introductory workshop for younger children and at 11 a.m. a hands-on sampler block for older children. This will also be on the historical society’s campus.

Guest learned to quilt from her grandmother when she was 8 years old. Everything was learned the old-fashioned way, using just a No. 2 pencil, a cereal box, a pair of good scissors, and needle and thread.

As time passed and life got busy, she took a break from sewing and quilting until her mid-20s. This return came with a renewed passion for the history of quilting and other needle craft arts and the way it connects the generations.

After her kids reached school age, Guest and her husband decided to take a chance on opening a quilt shop in Damariscotta. In 2023, that dream came to life. Since then, Guest has enjoyed working with, helping, and learning from other quilters in the area and beyond.

For more information, go to oldbristolhistoricalsociety.org.