March 10, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Pond Quilted Depiction of DaVinci’s “Last Supper “ to Visit Utah

(SALT LAKE CITY)— In the midst of controversy and emotion over the film, “The Passion of the Christ,” and the best-selling book, “The daVinci Code,” organizers of the Home Machine Quilting Show expect thousands will come to see “The Supper.” “The Supper” is a famous quilt that will be displayed at the South Towne Expo Center, 9575 So. State St. in Sandy, Utah April 15-17.

“The Supper,” a quilted reproduction of Leonardo daVinci’s famous painting entitled “The Last Supper,” has been displayed at churches and quilt shows across the nation and the world, even as far away as Spain.

Created by artist, Donald E. Locke, D.D.S. of Waxahachie, Texas, “The Supper” is comprised of 350 different fabrics including some hand dyed and cut into 51,816 half-inch squares. This beautiful quilt, vivid in color and exquisite in craftsmanship, has left its viewers in awe wherever it has been displayed.

The quilt was made with the help of a computer-generated image of daVinci’s painting. The image was enlarged many times, until blocks of color (pixels) appeared. A printout of these pixels became the template that helped Locke determine the color placement of fabric needed. The fabric was cut to size, placed in plastic baggies, and filed by color. A flannel wall in Locke’s studio was used to arrange the one-inch squares of fabric into large areas of the quilt. The columns of squares were numbered and sewn together. These columns were then attached to others. Large sections were completed and set aside, only for the process to be repeated again and again. After two and a half years of work, the piecing of “The Supper” was finished in August of 1999. Joy Press of Godley, Texas then hand-dyed the fabric used for the back of the quilt.

At this point, renowned machine quilter and instructor, Linda Taylor, of Melissa, Texas accepted the challenge to machine quilt the top. This massive undertaking took her three weeks—the longest she has ever worked on a quilt. “The Supper,” with dimensions of 15.3 feet wide and 5.5 feet tall had to be loaded and quilted sideways because the quilt was longer than the quilting machine table. Taylor says, “It was the most challenging project I have ever worked on because when you are close to the quilt, it is hard to see the figures.” Taylor had to count the squares, like counted cross-stitch to see where she was quilting. Several times, she had to take the quilt off the machine and hang it up to see what she had actually done. At last, the masterpiece was completed.

“The Supper” will be on display at the Home Machine Quilting Show (HMQS) during show hours—Thursday, April 15th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, April 16th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 17th from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. The show is open to the public, and all are welcome to visit “The Supper ” display. Creator, Don Locke, will be present to answer questions about the work. For more information on “The Supper” quilt visit www.thesupper.net.

The Home Machine Quilting Show is the premier consumer exhibition and hands-on educational show for machine quilters. The Home Machine Quilting Show features hands-on workshops by 19 well-known artists and instructors including Linda Taylor, juried machine quilt competitions, over 100 exhibitor booths, product demonstrations, door prizes and a large quilt display. Grand prize will include a Brother sewing machine, a B-Line Home Quilting System, and a weekend quilting retreat for two at a beautiful log cabin resort in scenic northern Idaho.

Cost to attend the event is $7 per person. Dollar-off admission coupons are available at most local quilting and fabric shops. To register for classes go to www.hmqs.org. For exhibitor information call (801) 205-4701. Major sponsors of the Home Machine Quilting Show include Handi Quilter Company Inc., the Home Machine Quilting Association, VSM Sewing Inc., and Pfaff Sewing Machines, sponsor of the “Demonstration Area.” Other sponsors include Bernina USA, Nuttall Inc., Dowdle Folk Art, Superior Threads, Brother International, To Be Quilting Inc., and Quilt House Bed & Breakfast.