The Maine Quilts show next month will feature Lewiston quilters Carole Cohen Pettinelli and Ethel DuBois in its Meet the Quilter event.

Pettinelli and DuBois are members of the Classic Quilters chapter of the Pine Tree Quilters Guild that is sponsoring the 35th annual show. The women are neighbors and have been quilting since 1979 and 1982,  respectively. Between them they’ve made hundreds of quilts and formed attachments to them.

Picking a favorite, Pettinelli said, is “like asking which one is your favorite child!”

“Sending one of my kids in a box would not be as hard as sending my quilt in a box!” DuBois said.

The quilters treasure their creations and given some to their children and grandchildren. Pettinelli said she admonished her children: “’When I am gone, you can take my quilts, sell my quilts, give them away, but if you cover a bicycle with one of them, I will return to haunt you!’”

“Yes,” DuBois said, “I don’t want them covering the floor when they change the oil!”

The time they’ve invested in quilting is evident in the hand stitching, a method they prefer to machine quilting.

In DuBois’ Safe Harbor design each unique ship has its own appliquéd sails and floral pieces making up the square. It took her almost two years to finish the quilt. Her husband, Albert, chose the colors and researched each vessel.

Pettinelli’s Aztec D’Oro quilt was made for her son and took her more than 18 months to complete.

Their quilts are made primarily of 100 percent cotton and get special care to preserve them. Pettinelli warned not to put quilts in plastic.

“Plastic doesn’t breathe. Put them in a pillowcase instead,” she said.

Quilts can mold when even a tiny bit of water is spilled on them and they’re packed away even remotely damp, DuBois advised.

Attendees at the show will have the opportunity to see their quilts up close and talk to them about them.

The show is set for July 27-29 at the Augusta Civic Center and will feature more than 600 quilts, hundreds of vendors and a silent auction to benefit WomenHeart, a national organization promoting advocacy, education and health for women experiencing or at risk of heart disease.