I started a quilt as a teenager. I did not finish it, and those misshapen pieces of creativity were discarded years ago. I picked up quilting again more recently when I noticed the stack of material and scraps leftover from sewing children’s clothes.
For decades, quilting was exclusively the hobby of older women, but after USPS stamps issued in 2006 showcased the remarkable talent of the poor Afro-American women of Gee Bend’s, AL., quilting took on a new life.
The Gee Bend’s quilts combine “unexpected color combinations, bold patterns, and improvised designs.” Until recently, quilters, like them, used fabric from everyday items such as “flour sacks, old dresses, and worn-out denim and flannel work clothes. Stains, mended holes and tears, faded patches, and seams all became integral parts of a quilt’s design and ensured that the materials, as well as the quilts, told a story.” (Check out the heart-warming children’s book The Rag Coat.)
Quilters today are a far cry from our grandmothers’ day. They are young and old, female and male, and their fabrics range from expensive batiks to plain cotton. They are artists in fabric.
The tradition of story telling through quilting thrives with Naperville’s Riverwalk Quilters Guild. Its mission is “to foster the art of quilting through fellowship, education and mutual support.” The Guild also supports local charities through Edward’s Extended Care Center and Hesed House.
Next month the Guild is excited to sponsor their first quilt show on May 10 and 11 at the Northern Illinois University campus in Naperville. With over 300 quilts on display, the two-day festival will include demonstrations, raffle baskets and a special Friday night event.
For more information, visit www.riverwalkquilters.com or email napervillequilts2013@riverwalkquilters.com.
The Guild meets the second Tuesday of each month at Grace United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 300 E. Gartner Rd., Naperville.
