Quilting in the Mountains

Blue Mountain Lodge was really humming Sept. 12-13 as 28 Blanding quilters enjoyed 24 hours of “pure” sewing and a little bit of sleep.  Two instructional workshops were given.  Norma Madden taught how to do the pioneer braid and Crystal Day, owner of  It’s Sew Moab,  showed how to make a stack and whack stained glass quilt. By the end of the last day, Nancy Kimmerle had finished a full sized pioneer braid quilt. “I don’t like UFO’s (Unfinished Projects) laying around my house,” she said!

It took me a year, but I finally finished my pioneer braid.

The Maughan Lodge is a perfect place for an activity such as this!

 Partnering with the guild was USU extension services.  Gloria Eberling and Lou Mueller gave a presentation and also helped provide the evening meal.  It was a beautiful setting, and great camaraderie with quilters of all ages and interests attending.  Many quilters worked on their own projects. 

I really enjoyed this workshop retreat, but have yet to finish the two quilts.  I've just been too busy with family histories this year -- maybe next winter!

Laurie Makes Quilt for Bella

 

Brendan and Laurie came down in August and stayed for about 5 days, and we did lots of fun things.  While the guys fished and goofed off, Laurie and I choose fabrics from my stash, and then she stitched all the strips together.  We initiated our new deck by tying the quilt outside.

 

 

We hadn't counted on the fact that it was so sunny we had to wear shades, or that it would so hot!

We were able to get it tied pretty quickly and I thought it looked beautiful on Lauri!!

The finished quiltt now bound, and posed with flowers from our garden, and a pretty granddaughter to hold it!

Twenty-23 years of July 4th Quilt Shows

(Published July 2012 in the Panorama)

For those who quilt and attend quilt shows, it’s obvious that that Blanding has hosted a standout quilt show for more than five years, (contrary to what last year's, and this year’s 4^th of July program advertises).

Starting in 1989, Blue Mountain Shadows sponsored an expansive Folk Fair Festival with all kinds of folk arts, programs, and food booths.  This was held at San Juan High school for seven years.  The quilt show was held in the cafeteria and each year it was totally filled with beautiful quilts.   Other folk craft booths lined both sides of the hallway, with presentations done in classrooms.

 Some of the die-hard quilters who helped with these early shows, included Eve Lynn Perkins, Kathleen Lyman, Bonnie Meyer, Norma Madden, Ada Rigby, Edith Young, Gayle Marian, Ingrid Meyer, Ruth Nielson, and Kathy Hurst as well as their husbands, and sons and grandsons. Many, many others helped orchestrate the shows, as it takes a lot of manpower to hang 100 quilts or more in just a day! 

 The biggest show the local guild ever masterminded was in 1996 for the State Centennial Celebration.  They joined forces with Monticello quilters and pulled in 200 beautiful quilts of all makes and styles.  In addition, quilters were photographed and a short story and photo were framed for display at the folk festival, and were later hung at the Senior Citizen Centers.  Eventually these frames were given back to the quilters.  Though many of these quilters are no longer with us, their influence is still remembered. 

Both Monticello and Blanding made beautiful Centennial Quilts for the 1996 state celebration and those two quilts are featured as cover photos in the 1997 issue of Blue Mountain Shadows which celebrated 100 years of quilts and the people who made them.  This magazine was compiled and edited by Kathy Hurst.  Quilts along with short biographies of 147 San Juan County quilters are included in that heirloom issue, which will be on sale at this year’s 27^th annual quilt show.

It’s possible that quilt shows began even before this, back when Blanding hosted Frontier Days, but someone else will need to find records on those!  Anyway, quilt shows have been going a lot longer than five years!
     This 2001 raffle quilt was made when I served as vice president with Vickie Kykendall.  I think we even had a float in the parade that particular year -- we were so ambitious.  We made over $1500 on the quilt.

4-H Quilt Camp Doubles in Size

Day two quilters with projects as completed by noon.  Most kids had their projects finished by the time we left.

 

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” (Chinese Proverb).  If this is the case 32 Blanding youth now have a pretty good understanding of how to make a quilt.

Day 1 photos taken at 3:30 shows what kids had completed on day 1--amazing.

For some who attended the two day 4-H Quilt Camp, it involved lots of math as they enlarged patterns or learned to sew ¼ inch seams; for others learning to thread and maneuver a sewing machine (without stitching your finger!) was the challenge, but for most the concept of selecting compatible fabrics, and then piecing parts into an interesting whole was the fun part of quilting.

Unfortunately, Ethan was the one student out of 33 who did have a sewing needle accident.  He was hurrying to finish on day two, and got his finger too close, and the needed went through his pointer finger, and broke in two places -- so it was a mini- surgery performed at camp.  He was pretty shook up about it, but within the hour had calmed down, and was making jokes about it.

 This shows his wounded finger as well as the quilt which he made for Ryan.

This is the 2^nd year for quilt camp, and there were twice many teachers and students this year (22 and 32 respectively) as last year.  Because quilting is not a gender specific skill, it was great having 7 boys in the group this year, and all their shades of camo!

I got to teach my grandson Ethan, who loves monkeying around with machines.  I knew if I didn't teach him soon, he'd try to figure the sewing machine out on his own.  We had a great time together for two days, though I was working with two other neighbor kids as well.  This blog is mainly the press release I sent to the paper, but I'll add a few more personal insights as well.

“We had a terrific group of volunteers who donated their time for two days, helping to pass on their love and skill of quilting, “stated Janet Wilcox, guild chairman for the event.  Ten members of the Grayson Country Quilt guild joined with another 12 community volunteers as instructors for the camp.  Because most of the students were novices at sewing, it took lots of time and patience teaching the basics, especially considering many were working with 2 to 4 students.  Most of the teachers had met 2-3 times prior to camp, giving students practice time sewing, helping them pick fabric, and cutting it out.

There were lots of kids calling “Grandma” for help through the day, but teachers also included moms, neighbors, visiting teachers, as well as teens and college students.   “The high point for all of us,” teachers agreed, “was seeing kids discover they have the power to create something wonderful, through learning a new skill.  It becomes very empowering and fun for them.”

Caitlyn Winn got her quilt totally finished at camp.  She tied it while we were there.

The guild struck up a partnership with USU in 2011 at their first camp, which provided a wonderful facility, as well as administrative help.  Lou Mueller, local USU professor and 4-H extension agent, and her assistant Karah Shumway made sure registration was completed, and that the students learned something about 4-H values.  They also provided healthy snacks, a lunch and break activities – all of which are important for elementary age children.

    Some teachers like Eve Lynn Perkins and Jeri Montella  started working with their girls several weeks ago, and Skye Jeppson and Precious Smith had their quilts nearly finished before the actual event began.

Prizes were awarded when quilt tops were finished.  Each participant received some fabric for their “next” project which was donated by local guild members. 

After all, as Oliver Wendall Homes said, “Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”  And quilting is definitely a mind stretcher!

2012 Sewing Projects

I did so many quilting projects last year, in the process of being guild president, that I am about quilted out for awhile, but there are a few things I've done this year.  I continue to do the publicity for quilt guild, and take photos as well.  I was also asked to be the chairman of the 4-H quilt camp.

This was a posed picture I embellished to advertise our guild meeting in May where we visited three guild members homes and learned what a neea tidy sewing room looks like.  Mine is seldom tidy, but not always quite this bad.  We've slowly moved all the tools and gardening supplies from these cupboards, out to the garage, which Steve got organized as a Christmas gift to me in 2011. This has given me lots more room for my stash, though I still can't fit it all into this room.  Note the little eye level opening into the TV room.  Steve also did that for me about 12 years ago, so I could watch TV while sewing, or picking out as the case may be!

This was a project I started about 10 years ago, and just got it completed this winter.  I gave three of the shamrocks to various families, and kept one for myself.  The original pattern was designed as a large wall hanging with all 3 shamrocks, but I like the smaller size much better. Sure and Begorrah!

Final T-shirt quilt of 2011

I finished this T-shirt quilt for  Ethan for Christmas of 2011.  He and his mom gathered T-shirts for me during the summer, but I didn't get serious about finishing it up until November.  I didn't use the fusible grid method for this, as the fronts of his shirts were too large.  Instead I fused the front of the shirt to the back using Stitch Witchery, thus giving it some stability.  I first cut out the blocks.  I believe these were 14 X 16.  I like to have the length, a bit longer for these growing boys!