Kathy Havelka of Louisburg spent seven months of her life planning, stitching and piecing together a masterpiece, her favorite creation â” a quilt she calls, â@ 50 Not Crazy, Just Nearly Insane. The colors and shapes are as numerous as the stitches and fabrics she used to create her colorful collection of creative expression, which was recently chosen as a semifinalist in the American Quilterâs Society Quilt Show and Contest, which will be held October 6-9 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Out of thousands of quilts, AQS judges must select fewer than 200 to compete at the third annual show, which is one of the three largest quilt shows in the United States. And, itâs one of the first quilts sheâs ever put together, as she first began quilting in 2007 when the Kansas City Star featured a block-of-the-month section, where quilters would sew one square of twelve every month. Thatâs how she got the quilting bug, which led to the creation of about 20 quilts since her humble beginnings, including â@ 50 Not Crazy, Just Nearly Insane. Without a competitive nature, Havelka said she will keep on quilting because itâs her passion and creative outlet.

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