SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College has received the gift of a handmade quilt featuring the college logo, which will hang in the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center. The quilt is a gift from the Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild.

The quilt can be seen at the Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild's "Sew Many Pieces" Quilt Show to be held Oct. 18-19 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. Admission is $7, with those under age 12 admitted free.

"We cannot thank Barbara Massengill and the ladies with the Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild enough for their beautiful quilt art piece that will hang in the Civic Center," said David Foster, Director of the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center. "Local art and artisans at their best for everyone to see. I have such a love and appreciation for their talent."

Barbara Massengill, who joined the Guild in 2006, made the quilt. "I enjoy the whole process of putting a quilt top together -- the planning, searching for the perfect fabric, cutting out the fabric, sewing the pieces together, embellishing, the challenge of making your own pattern, the creativeness of thinking outside the box, teaching new quilters," said Massengill. "At any given time, I am working on three or four different quilts and have three or four in my head that I'm 'working out.'"

Massengill said she first became interested in making quilts in 1980. "We were building a house and I wanted a Log Cabin quilt for the guest room and I wanted it in specific colors," said Massengill. "So I took a class at a local fabric store and learned to quilt."

The Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild was founded in 2001 and meets regularly at the McSwain Agricultural and Education Center in Sanford on the first and third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The group has a business meeting on the first Saturday during the lunch hour, followed by a Show and Tell session where members share their projects. The remainder of the time is spent sewing on individual projects, group projects, demonstrations, or a special class. The gathering on the third Saturday is very informal with members helping each other and working on their individual projects.

The current Guild officers are: Terri Riddle, President; Pat Poulson, Vice President; Patricia Brown, Secretary; and Dawn Gale, Treasurer.

There are currently 40 members in the Guild, which is involved in many community service projects such as making patriotic quilt blocks that are then sewn into Quilts of Valor and donated to the NC Quilts of Valor organization to be distributed to members of the Armed Services in recognition of their service. The group also makes community services quilts and hundreds of pillowcases donated to the Lee County Department of Children's Services.

The Guild's major fundraiser is a biennial quilt show. This year's show title is "Sew Many Pieces." The show will include over 100 quilts on display, textile vendors, door prizes, a boutique overflowing with beautiful handmade items, and a trunk show presentation titled "From the Bed to the Wall" by Massengill.

"The Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild quilt show is always one of the highlight events we look forward to. The sheer talent they all possess in the fiber arts is second to none," said Foster. "Their biennial event brings well over a thousand people -- not just locally but from across the state and neighboring states. It is a great event for not only quilters, but for those that appreciate art and the artistry and design in both contemporary and tradition fiber art works. Their boutique and vendor booths are great places to pick up some early Christmas gifts. So for lovers of quilting, lovers of art, or those looking to enjoy a fun time and maybe pick up an early Christmas present or two, this quilt show is a cannot miss event."

To learn more about the upcoming "Sew Many Pieces" Quilt Show, visit the Hearts & Hands/ECA Quilters' Guild's website at www.heartsandhandsnc.org. Or, for more information, email to info@heartsandhandsnc.org.