OTTUMWA — It was color after brilliant color. Row after row of detailed craftsmanship. And every piece made with love.

If you didn’t have the chance to take a walk through the Ottumwa Quilters Guild’s 2008 Quilt Show, you missed an opportunity to see some of the most magnificent quilts here in southeast Iowa.

The guild’s first-ever show offered up a variety of styles and winning displays that are second to none. Walking through the exhibit hall at Bridge View Center was taking a trek through a kaleidoscope; each quilt the result of hard work and commitment.

Show Chairwoman Deb Parks said the guild’s show proved to be a great success.

“It’s been overwhelming,” she beamed. “It’s just been phenomenal.”

Parks is right. Quilting over the last 10-20 years has made a resurgence among sewing and art enthusiasts.

Parks said back in the day women would stitch together pieces of cloth not because they sought to make some piece of art, rather to create a warm blanket, bed covering or curtains. It was, she said, out of necessity.

But historians and art lovers in the 20th and 21st centuries have now realized the artistic value of these incredible pieces of art. And they are just that — art that tells a story or captures a moment of history.

Today, with modern sewing equipment and new techniques, quilters are creating pieces that could easily hang in any art museum or gallery.

Parks said this past weekend’s show raised money to help the guild promote interest in quilting as well as allowing the organization to participate in community projects and charitable events.

Quilting is now attracting both women and men, as well as younger quilters, Parks said.

The show featured sponsorships, and different sponsors award different entrants prizes and blue ribbons for their work.

As Parks pointed out, the awards were not based on stitch technique, but rather what was pleasing to the eye. It had to be a difficult choice, because each quilt was incredible.

My favorite — the small Iowa quilt — what an incredible piece.

The Ottumwa Quilters Guild has found there is an audience and a market for their work and the work of so many from southeast Iowa and beyond. Parks said while no plans have been made for 2009, it’s clear the interest in quilting will no doubt prompt more shows and exhibits.