It was a quilter's paradise at the seventh annual Quilt Show hosted at the Palmerton Area Library by the Sew What Quilt Guild.

There were 74 newly sewn and old favorite quilts on display. Those attending got to vote for their favorites for Best of Show. Along with the display of quilts were door prizes, a Chinese auction, vendors and a raffle. The event was well-attended and is gets more popular each year.This year the People's Choice for Best of Show honors went to Pat Evans of Slatington for first and fourth place.First place was her "Alaskan Northern Lights" quilt. Her sister, Janet Parry of Slatington, had visited Alaska and bought the material there. Pat made it for her sister. It was handquilted by Palmerton's St. John's UCC quilt guild.The fourth place quilt was with a deer and nature theme. Evans made it for her 17-year-old grandson, Joshua Evans. It was quilted by the Busy Bees of Union United Church of Christ in Neffs.Evans has been a seamstress all her life but didn't begin to quilt until she retired eight years ago."My grandmother quilted. I would watch her and my aunts quilt when I visited. It was always something I wanted to do. Now I quilt," she says.So far she has made one for each of her five grandchildren, two for her sister and four for herself, with no plans of stopping.Second place was awarded to Christina Haas, a hair dresser in Palmerton. Her winning quilt is titled "Holiday Trails" and says what makes it unique is the red thread used for the quilting.Haas loves to quilt and has been doing it for years."When I sit down at the sewing machine, I don't want to do anything else," she said.She passed her love of making quilts and sewing to her daughter, Nicole Haas of Palmerton. Her quilt, "Basket Shop Hop," won third place. The blocks for this quilt were acquired at the different shops participating in a Shop Hop event, which she says are a lot of fun.Nicole Haas, a senior at East Stroudsburg University, is majoring in health administration and currently works in St. Luke's Emergency Room in Allentown.She became a quilter when her grandmother bought her a sewing machine when she was 17."It's addicting. I like putting things together. It's the thinking about it, the cutting and finishing it. I love making blocks," she says.Terri Sheckler, chairwoman of the Quilt Show encourages quilters to start getting busy making blocks for new quilts for next year's event.