When it comes to textile arts, the creativity factor runs high these days. More people are trying their hand at knitting, crocheting and sewing. And the craft of piecing swatches of cloth together in artful designs to produce blankets, garments and wall-hanging works of art has become a passion for lovers of color and texture. The emergence of guilds gives crafters opportunities to work together on projects, learning old and new techniques along the way. With near-obsessive enthusiasm, quilters cut cloth and stitch together patterns that might astound those practical grannies of yesteryear.

For a sampling of what's being done, check out the Wiltwyck Quilters' Guild "Quilts in the Valley" show to be held in the Senate Gymnasium at SUNY-Ulster in Stone Ridge this Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6. The show will feature the talent of local artisans in a variety of colorful quilts and quilted wearables that will be on exhibit and for sale. There will be quilting demonstrations, along with a boutique of handmade items and other quilt-related goods. The Guild is especially excited to present a best-selling author of uplifting historical and contemporary fiction, Marie Bostwick, whose latest novel A Thread So Thin was released in April. Bostwick will be on hand to meet her fans and talk textiles on Saturday.

Additionally, area doll artists will hold a special exhibit of an eclectic assemblage of dolls handmade from a wide range of materials: cloth, textiles, felted wool, porcelain, polymer, paper, clay, found and recycled objects, sticks, bones, buttons and more. These are not your average Barbies and Cabbage Patch samples, but rather one-of-a-kind figurative sculptures that reflect the inspired and inventive visions of their creators.

"Though we think of dolls as mere toys to be played with by little girls, dollmaking is an ancient art," says dollmaker Colleen Geraghty. "Working with the human figure, we encounter powerful archetypal forms, and powerful dreams take shape...Dollmaking helps us find our place in the company of others." For artist Denise Giardullo, dolls represent "the goodness and optimism of childhood, as well as the mysteries of the human spirit." Featured artists will include members of the Hudson Valley Doll Artists' Guild, Central New York Doll Artists' Guild, Wendy's Dollmakers and Garden State Doll Artisans, among others. Don't miss this intriguing exhibit.

The Wiltwyck Quilters' Guild "Quilts of the Valley" show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, and includes raffles, door prizes, demos, vendors and more. Admission to the entire exhibition is $6. Ulster Community College is located on Cottekill Road in Stone Ridge. See www.wiltwyckquiltersguild.org for more information.