New for 2025

The Needlework Department is adding a new class called “What can you make with a Fat Quarter?” This class will be sponsored by the American Sewing Guild, Connecticut Chapter.

What is a fat quarter as it relates to fabric? A "fat quarter" in fabric is a pre-cut piece of fabric that is essentially a quarter yard of material, but cut widthwise to create a larger, more square-like piece, typically measuring around 18 inches by 22 inches; it's considered "fat" because it's wider than a standard quarter yard cut which would be much narrower along the width of the fabric. You must use at least 1 fat quarter in your sewing project. Like our other classes, all items will be judged using the Danish system. The Sewing Guild will Award the Best in Show for this Class.

2025 Challenge Class

This year’s challenge class theme is “Home Sweet Home.” This is an added category which allows our exhibitors to enter an additional item if it ties in with the theme of the year.

2025 Community Service Projects

The Durham Fair Needlework Department has had a long tradition of supporting the community by holding a donation drive each year at the fair. This annual Community Service Project not only helps those in need but has also become a source of pride in having won an AIFE Award of Excellence for this program. We will be collecting items for veterans, the homeless, and children in crisis. Make sure you check out Art Bra which supports “After the Storm.”

• Art Bra
• Prayer Shawls/Veterans Shawls
• Mittens & Gloves
• Scarves
• Socks
• Hats
• Lap Blankets
• Pillow Cases
• Sensory Mitt: Needlework Crochet Sensory Knit or Knit Sensory Mitt
• QOV Block: Log Cabin Block

Please consider making an item to enter in this year’s fair, or get together with friends, church groups, or community organizations and donate them. We will be collecting them and displaying them at the fair. Although an exhibitor can enter only one item per category, participants in our drive can donate as many items as they want.

After the Storm
The winning art bra creation will have their entry in the 2026 Art Bra Runway Show where it will be auctioned to raise money for breast cancer survivors. In addition, the winner will receive a Budvase for the Durham Fair Art Bra Award 2025.

Quilt of Valor
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization founded in 2003 by “Blue Star” mom Catherine Roberts. With a son deployed in Iraq, a ‘Gunner’ sitting atop a Humvee she felt “only 10 seconds away from panic”. She had this vision of a post deployed warrior struggling with his war demons at 2 in the morning. She saw him sitting on the side of his bed wrapped in his quilt. The quilt not only comforted him but warded off the demons. Thus, the QOVF was founded. The Quilts of Valor Foundation’s mission is to cover ALL combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. QOVF celebrated another award milestone recently by awarding the 350,000th Quilt of Valor to a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star Recipient. Without the support of our members and the many individuals, guilds, and organizations, we would not be as far along in our Mission of wrapping our military veterans and service members in comforting quilts.

• The Quilt of Valor Quilt Block will be used by QOV State Coordinators to help fill outstanding requests for a Quilt of Valor not covered by local groups and will ease the waiting list of requests.
• The 2025 Quilt block square is: Log Cabin Block.