The Minot Public Library might seem warmer than most buildings in town this month, hosting as it does a display of quilts from the Prairie Quilt Guild.
"We've got three full-sized bed quilts, two throws and several wall hangings," said Becky Spies, new president of the guild. "Besides that, the cases are filled with accessories and some 1930s reproduction fabrics."
The quilts are the fruits of the labor of some of the more than 150 members in the area.
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Terry J. Aman/MDN - - One of the quilts crafted by members of the Prairie Quilt Guild, on display in the Minot Public Library's main floor gallery.
"This truly is fiber art," Spies said. "The fabric itself is tactile, the patterns pleasing to the eye, and the quilting makes certain areas stand up higher, which gives definition to the piece.
"They're beautiful," she added. "The main difference between the bed sized and smaller works is that the bigger ones offer a larger canvas to work with, but there are ladies who like to work on miniature ones, which have the same elements as the larger, but with such small corners and tiny edges.
"They're all designed to be looked at, but even the largest is art even if it is only seen in the bedroom," she said.
Among the familiar designs are Charm and Crazy. Charm quilts are made entirely from non-matching blocks. Crazy quilts employ an asymmetrical approach in their design.
The language of the craft is quaint, with such pattern names as Log Cabin, Turkey in the Straw, Double Wedding Ring and Star.
"You'll see everything from grandma's quilts to today's styles," Spies said.