With the thimble-capped fingers of an experienced quilter, a pile of scrap fabric and a few spools of thread can become a masterpiece design -- if the quilter is willing to put in hours of work.

About 200 of those handmade creations, collectively representing years of effort, will be displayed at Quilting in the Pines III Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst.

The Sandhills Quilters Guild and the Village of Pinehurst Parks and Recreation have teamed up to present the show, which features quilt judging, demonstrations, silent auction, vendors and door prizes.

"We want to show our community what it is that we do, what it is that we love to do," says Joyce Riedell, president of the Sandhills Quilters Guild.

Quilts may be submitted by individuals or groups, must have been completed in the last five years and cannot have appeared at Quilting in the Pines I or II. Each quilter is limited to four entries.

The quilt show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, and admission is $5.

The judging actually occurs the day before the show, when two certified quilt judges, Carol Larimer and Susan Whatley, will examine the entries.

Larimer received judge certification in 1998 from the National Quilting Association and has judged numerous shows in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. She previously was a member of the Board of Directors for the Lady of the Lake Guild in Florida.

Whatley began quilting in 1985 and was certified to judge by the NQA in 2005. For the last four years, Whatley has served as show registrar for the Annual NQA Quilt Show. She is a member of the Crystal Coast Quilters Guild in Beaufort.

"They have a thorough understanding of quiltmaking, the techniques and designs," says Lynne Erbach, certified judge coordinator for the NQA.

Potential judges undergo an intensive application and panel review to demonstrate their knowledge of quilting procedures and styles before achieving certified judge status.

"They look at the visual, then, of course, they look at the workmanship," says Pat Kern, quilt show publicity chairwoman. "Then it gets very specific."

She added that the judges will look for mistakes as minute as loose threads as they evaluate the items.

The judges will award several ribbons: judges' choice, viewers' choice, best of show, best machine quilting, best hand quilting, best appliqu and best piecing. First, second, third and honorable mention also will be named in each of the 17 quilt categories.

Some of the bed quilts, wall quilts and miscellaneous quilted items will also be for sale. And those one-of-a-kind works are worth quite a bit.

"One year we had an appraiser, and one girl got a verbal appraisal of over $2,000," Kern says.

Another unique part of the show is the Kids Can Quilt exhibit, which features quilts made by young quilters. The guild also gives grants to teachers who plan to use quilting in the classroom, and some of those quilts also will be displayed.

"It's an outreach to continue the teaching of the form to younger people," Kern says.

Quilting in the Pines is a biennial event of the Sandhills Quilters Guild, a 25-year-old organization that now has 117 members.

"We have quilters of all levels," Riedel says. "We have some quilters who are relatively new and some who are very experienced."

The guild meets monthly to sew together, discuss methods or participate in classes. Members also donate quilts to various charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Hospice, and nursing homes.

"It's diverse thinking within a quilt guild," Kern says, adding that each member brings different methods and styles of quilting to the table.

But that diversity is what makes every quilt uniquely beautiful, she says.

"It's your quilt and you can do whatever you want," Kern says. "It's wide open."

For more information on Quilting in the Pines III or the guild, visit www.sandhillsquilters.org or call quilt show chairwoman Liz Stern at 295-4017.

Kellen Moore, a student at UNC Chapel Hill, was a summer intern for The Pilot.