For three long months, Wyoming State Quilt Guild members Ginny Singer, Barb Bunn and Lili Turnell labored over a special project, creating the 2026 “opportunity quilt” up for raffle this past weekend as about 500 quilting fans invaded Powell from across the state. The trio poured hundreds of hours into the project, hoping to bring in enough money to fund the guild’s 2027 retreat.

It’s going to be quite a retreat; the raffle brought in over $11,000.

The special quilt honored the natural resources and wildlife found in this part of the state. Yet, the message hidden in the excitement over the artwork is that quilting is currently booming, with more new participants joining local clubs at an amazing rate.

“It’s hot right now,” said Powell resident Lauren Andrist, the chairwoman for the 2026 Quilt Wyoming convention. “Our membership has doubled in the past year.”

Quilting is experiencing a massive resurgence due to a cultural shift toward slow living, mental wellness and self-expression, according to industry experts.

“The craft provides a tactile, meditative escape from screen-heavy lives, allowing individuals to disconnect while creating functional, personalized and sustainable art,” according to the Craft Industry Alliance.

With approximately 10 million regular participants in the U.S. alone, the industry has become a major economic driver within the broader sewing and craft sector. Quilting topped $4.5 billion industry-wide last year, two and a half times greater than at the turn of the century.

“Quilting is deeply American in the way backyard barbecues or baseball are; apparel sewing is deeply European in the way tailoring and fashion houses are,” said Darrin Stern, VP of Koelnmesse and H+H Trade Shows, in a recent Alliance report. “In the U.S., quilting became both the emotional and economic engine of home sewing.”

One reason for the explosion of interest is the surprising appeal to young crafters. According to Threads Magazine, today’s younger generation of quilters is moving past traditional floral patterns. Using quilt-design apps and software like Adobe Illustrator, they create bold, graphic and minimalist geometric designs that appeal to modern tastes. 

Also, the modern emphasis on the environment has made repurposing old clothing, thrifted fabrics and scraps into long-lasting, functional art highly appealing to youth and modern technology, including social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have replaced traditional, localized quilting bees. Young makers now connect instantly with thousands of other crafters worldwide, sharing patterns, participating in virtual “sew-alongs,” and trading tips across digital communities.

Expensive habit?

The Powell event happens once every five years, with counties sharing the economic boom of having hundreds of thimble-wielding men and women coming to town for a long weekend. For many quilters, it’s an expensive habit, said Golden Thimble Award nominee Chris Wolf.

“You can spend a fortune on quilting. It’s nothing for somebody to go and spend $500 when they go into a quilt,” Wolf said. “It’s an addiction.”

Sewing machines can be the largest expense. The most expensive quilting machines are automated longarms with built-in robotic software, which can cost between $40,000 and $60,000, but while few own a longarm, many still spend thousands on their machines — most costing less than $12,000. However, Powell resident Sarah Pierson wanted to keep her hobby expenses down and uses an antique 1947 Singer Featherweight, which she says is perfect for quilting and only cost $350.

The machine is light and fits in a small quilted bag which, of course, she made using the machine.

“There’s been an evolution in the style of quilts, which is nice because it opens up more doors for people’s creativity,” she said. “The whole art form is really growing.”

Pierson said quilting is similar to gardening — a project that takes a lot of work and takes time to reap the benefits — but better than gardening because “you can do it all by yourself in the comfort of your house.”

The Golden Thimble Award is presented each year for participation, encouragement and facilitation of folks becoming involved in quilting. The convention’s major award went to former Hyattville teacher Mary Lou Doyle, who has been an active member of the group for many years, sharing her expertise in quilting with anyone willing to listen, Andrist said.

“Doyle is a gifted teacher and very talented quilter,” Andrist added.

Hundreds of Wyoming quilters moved between multiple classrooms in four buildings on the Northwest College campus between Thursday and Saturday, chasing the newest techniques and the latest technology. The guild brought in three top American quilters, Scott Flanagan, Cynthia England and guest speaker Carla Alexander, to teach classes. Some of the classes were so full, organizers had to dedicate space for the overflow.

“It was a wonderful three days of teaching and visiting,” Flanagan said.

Many artists from the county have entered their quilt creations in the Park County Fair and will be on display at the fairgrounds from July 21-25.

For more information:

In Cody, the Paintbrush Piecers Quilt Guild meets the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Cody Senior Center. Call (307) 254-0477 for more information.

In the Big Horn Basin, the Textile Artists of Greater Yellowstone serve the broader area and offer a blog at textileartistsofgreateryellowstone.blogspot.com.