If quilts evoke thoughts of family, warmth and love, then Julia Graber”s quilts are an extension of her life. She began experimenting with quilting in her 20s, and discovered a passion that has bloomed in the following years.
She grew up in Virginia, the third of seven girls who romped and played on the banks of a river. Though her mother and grandmother both quilted, the bug didn”t bite until later. Only after she came to Mississippi to teach at Magnolia Christian School, and met and married Paul Graber, did Julia begin piecing and quilting in earnest.
After attending quilt exhibits with her family, she started entering contests held by the National Quilting Association called “New Quilts from Old Favorites.” Each year one antique quilt pattern is used as the starting point for the entries — stretching the imagination towards the completed project.
Julia has been accepted and has been a finalist for the past several years, and has two quilts, “Bubbled Burgoyne” and “The Desert Shall Rejoice,” on tour now. Images of these quilts are published in books by the National Quilter”s Association.
Julia and her husband are parents of six children, and own and operate a trucking company, as well as a farm raising hogs and grain outside Brooksville. They attend Magnolia Mennonite Church.
“We hope everyone enjoys this exhibit and returns for others scheduled this year,” said Martha Stennis, director of the welcome center located on South Jefferson Street in Macon.
Other slated exhibits include Rufus McLeod paintings, drawing and sculpture in July, Dora McDaniel prints and paintings in September, Billy and Kitty Ellis pottery in October and Noxubee High School art in November.
For more information, contact Stennis at 662-361-8292, or e-mail [email protected].
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