By Staff
Wallace to host show this weekend
By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles &Features Editor
PINETOWN — Alex Wallace, 4, cheerfully shows a visitor around his great-grandmother’s shop in Pinetown. It is apparent Rebecca Wallace is passing on her love and appreciation for handcrafted items to the youngster.
Young Alex scurried about the shop, dubbed the “T” House, and chattered about the various quilts that Wallace has been hanging in preparation for this weekend’s quilt show. Among them are an intricate yo-yo quilt fashioned of fabric in every color of the rainbow, from pink, red and orange to green, blue and yellow. Another depicts a collection of chapeaus perfect for the Red Hat Ladies, while nearby hangs a wall quilt featuring chickens with button eyes.
But perhaps the most interesting — and certainly the most poignant — is a full size bed quilt done completely in a railroad motif, including an image of the old Pinetown depot, which was torn down years ago.
This weekend’s quilt show is Wallace’s way of helping to preserve and promote what she called “a dying art.”
While most of the items on display were made by Wallace herself, she also expects to add a piece or two done by her friend and fellow quilter Brenda Boyd.
Wallace said she has been quilting since her days as a young bride in 1950. She probably inherited her gift from her mother, who was a seamstress.
That’s an understatement.
For instance, the queen size, yo-yo quilt took her an estimated 1,200 hours to complete and it’s one of two that Wallace has done. Other pieces feature intricate embroidery, including what she called “red work,” where the stitching is done entirely in red thread.
And since she can’t bear to throw anything away, some of the pieces are created from odds and ends or squares left over from another project.
The items — ranging from a small candle mat to crib quilts to a king size bed quilt — are arranged in two rooms in Wallace’s Pinetown shop, which she opened last fall. Its name comes from her love of collecting teacups, teapots and tea sets.
The shop is housed in a century-old homeplace now owned by her son. While helping him clean out the junk and debris, Wallace discovered several vintage patchwork quilts she believes are from the 1920s or 1930s. Those quilts are displayed on a fainting couch, which also came with the house.
Even as she prepares for this weekend’s show, Wallace continues to add to her collection.
The “T” Shop is located at 700 Main Street in Pinetown. The show is planned for Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. each day. For more information, contact Wallace at 252-927-4124.