"These are not your grandmothers’ quilts," says the National Quilt Museum of their national contest winners. Barton Community College’s Shafer Gallery is now displaying these fabric masterpieces for their current featured exhibit, "New Quilts From an Old Favorite: Orange Peel."

Quiltmakers were challenged by the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Ky,. to create original quilts based on the classic orange peel block pattern. The exhibit will showcase the entries of the top five award winners and 18 finalists who responded to the challenge.

According to the National Quilt Museum, "Oranges were a rare treat in the nineteenth century. Only the wealthy would have had access to oranges on any kind of regular basis. The name "orange peel" does not seem exotic to us in this age of refrigeration but to the quiltmaker of 1895, it certainly was. The lack of oranges in everyday life is an indication either that the name was unknown to quiltmakers before publishers dreamed it up, or that it was so exotic that it was used as a name, bringing a touch of the tropics into a quiltmaker’s day-to-day existence."

Quilters from 14 U.S. states and Canada modified the orange peel design while exhibiting a variety of skills, techniques and creativity.

The exhibit will run through Dec. 20. Regular viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. There will also be special holiday viewing hours if weather permits, Dec. 26 through Dec. 30 from 9-11 a.m. If inclement weather occurs, call (620)792-9342 to see if gallery is open.

Admission is always free to the public. For more information on the National Quilt Museum, visit http://www.quiltmuseum.org/