As Bethanne Nemesh admits, the quilts she designs and makes are much more than the quilts one would see on display at the Kutztown Fair.

Her quilts would not be used as bedspreads. They are award-winning examples of quilting that are hung on the wall.

Nemesh, who has a Mennonite background and is familiar with making quilts, has advanced from basic quilting to competing and becoming a prizewinning quilter.

“I am an artist first,” she said.

Nemesh has a degree in art and Master’s degree in art therapy.

What she does now is called yarn couching, and she uses a special industrial sewing machine called a long-arm quilting machine.

Nemesh is self taught and has been quilting for 22 years.

In the 1990s, when fabrics changed and more brighter colors became available, this opened up the world to Nemesh.

Batiks from Indonesia and vibrant colors and silks helped to broaden the scope of her quilting.

Nemesh subscribed to a quilting magazine and sent in entries to contests.

Now her winning ribbons line the wall of one of her rooms.

Nemesh, who has received many awards for her outstanding quilts and wall hangings, now teaches and has written six quilting books.

She has traveled all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland and across the United States.

During the week of July 19-22, she was at the Quilt Odyssey at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center exhibiting 18 gallery pieces and teaching five classes as the featured artist.

Nemesh was inducted into the National Quilting Associations Masterpiece Quilt Guild in 2015 and she received a Master Award for Machine Artistry in Houston at the International Quilt Festival in 2016.

Nemesh is a member of the Emmaus quilting community.

To see some of her prize winning quilts or learn more about Nemesh, visit whitearborquilting.com.