To newbies, the signage for the Cherokee National Holiday Quilt Show is a bit hard to find, but that’s okay: locals know exactly where to go. Inside the Chota Conference Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this little quilt show is a big deal in the community—and it’s been that way for the past 72 years.
Every year, the Cherokee Nation celebrates its National Holiday with three days of events spread over almost every inch of Tahlequah. The holiday commemorates the date in 1839 when the Cherokee Nation signed its constitution. There is a parade, a car show, traditional games, fishing contests, a fine art show, film and music venues, and a big intertribal powwow held on Friday and Saturday nights.
And, best of all: a vibrant and very popular Quilt Show.
Debra Harl is the reason this show is so popular. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the co-coordinator for the Quilt Show. Her energy and passion for quilting have helped grow this show from about 20 quilts eight years ago to 127 quilts in this year’s exhibit. Once you step inside the show, greeters hand out door-prize tickets and a People’s Choice voter card. But the best greeting happens when you reach Debra. She is at the entrance pretty much all day, welcoming everyone with her genuine smile and plenty of hugs to go around.
There were a record number of quilts entered this year, and, at first, Debra and her fellow coordinator Michael Hamlin were happily overwhelmed. Any quilter can enter; however, if space becomes an issue, priority is given to enrolled citizens of the Cherokee Nation.
Quilts were hung on long rows of frames, back to back, in narrow aisles. And unlike most quilt shows, where touching the quilts is taboo, this show supplies disposable gloves for attendees. And once they put on the gloves, anyone can touch any quilt. This was especially entertaining for the kids who loved the tactile experience. But even the adults enjoyed exploring the texture, and many viewers were keen to see the backs of quilts.
There are about 15 categories for the quilts, plus several categories for youth entries—as well as special categories for ribbon skirts, which are handmade to honor traditional Native American clothing, and other quilted items.
An experienced quilt judge is asked to examine all of the entries and award first-, second-, and third-place ribbons in each category. In addition, the Cherokee Nation leaders preview the show and award their favorite quilts a special ribbon. The winners are placed on a special stage, and everyone stops to see these stunning quilts that have caught the attention of dignitaries.
One triple-award winning quilt was made by Avis Choate (featured in Quiltfolk, Issue 31: Oklahoma). Her quilt is an intricate appliqué and woven design, with hand embroidery, hand quilting, and ribbons. The center of the wall-hanging quilt features a cream-colored water spider with stuffed legs and beadwork. The spider is representative of the 2024 theme for the National Holiday: “Weaving Our Future.” Avis happens to be the mother of Debra Harl, and the two have collaborated on quilts for years. Debra is not a quilter, but she loves to design quilts, and she often does so for her mom. Once Debra hands over her ideas, Avis, who’s been quilting for more than 50 years, makes those ideas a reality.
Cherokee quilter Janet Foreman-Green entered several quilts in this year’s show, and she won a third-place ribbon for a quilt in the “T-Shirt” category, which she made to give away to a close friend. She lives in Tennessee, and she and her family attend the National Holiday event every year. Janet is an avid quilter who loves creating free-motion designs on her longarm, and when she’s not busy finishing her own quilts, she quilts professionally. Her beautiful quilting designs were showcased in another stunning quilt she exhibited featuring a pre-printed panel of the 50-foot Dignity statue in Chamberlin, South Dakota. Dignity depicts a Lakota woman holding a Star quilt behind her shoulders. Janet incorporated this panel into a larger quilt with Flying Geese and a strong-yet-subtle border, filled with organic quilting motifs.
Emma Parker—a staff member of the Quilt Alliance, a nonprofit organization that documents and preserves American quilt stories—traveled from North Carolina to attend the Quilt Show and gather video recordings of quilters with their quilts in order to document this special event. In addition to the video interviews, Emma captured an audio oral-history interview with Janet about her Cherokee culture and her love of quilting for the series Quilters Save Our Stories. (You can read more about the Quilt Alliance in Quiltfolk, Issue 23: North Carolina).
Caroline Carrington entered a quilt in the “Under 13” category and won a first-place ribbon. Her darling quilt is a black-and-white patchwork checkerboard with a bright blue border. She made it as a gift for her dad. Caroline was quite shy when asked to talk about her quilt, but the memory of creating a game board in cloth—and seeing it win a blue ribbon—is surely one she won’t easily forget.
A large Oklahoma Album quilt won both a second-place judge’s ribbon in the “Mixed Technique” category and the People’s Choice award. The quilt was made by Jackie Webb and quilted by Meri Pinner. Iconic state images are depicted with both pieced and appliqué blocks, including the Cherokee Nation emblem, an oil derrick, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, horses and buffalo, even the date of the state’s founding: 1907.
After interviewing Debra and Avis for Quiltfolk, Issue 31, Debra and I (Teresa Duryea Wong) continued to communicate and form a friendship. Debra encouraged me to enter a quilt in the 2024 Quilt Show, so I chose to enter two quilts and shipped them directly to her. Much to my surprise, Grace’s Star won a first-place ribbon in the “Machine Pieced/Machine Quilted” category. This quilt is a remake of a 1968 Star quilt made by Lakota quilter Grace Zimega. It is densely quilted, and it was a thrill to be at the show and see so many people run their gloved hands over the matchstick quilting. Many curious visitors even peeked at the back.
While the colorful powwows and other traditional events taking place over the National Holiday weekend in Tahlequah always attract large crowds, when it comes to attendance, this little Quilt Show can hold its own. More than 1,000 people navigated their way to the colorful room in the Chota Conference Center, proving the limited signage was definitely not an issue. For three days, the room was packed. It was a joy to watch people study the quilts, take selfies and other photos, and most wonderful of all, to see them touch their favorite quilts.
Teresa Duryea Wong is a writer, quiltmaker, and antique quilt collector, as well as a member of the International Advisory Board of the International Quilt Museum. Learn more on her website.
Jimmy Wong is a veteran television news photographer who has covered everything from hurricanes to presidents. Along the way, he has gladly volunteered to photograph countless quilts for his wife of 39 years, writer Teresa Duryea Wong, enough to know the difference between a fat quarter and a jelly roll. See more of his work on his website or Instagram.
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