News Press > Features
Quilting: A gift from the heart
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| Author Carolyn Cullinan McCormick is a breast cancer survivor and designed her “Soft reminder quilt” so women will remember to conduct self-breast examinations and keep up with their mammograms. Courtesy Photo |
I remember my grandmother, Emma, sitting in her favorite chair, stitching quilts with a needle and thread, wearing a silver thimble on her thumb, while my grandfather, Arnold, watched basketball. A very proud, content and comfortable pair.
One Christmas she presented all 12 grandchildren with a handmade quilt, all differently constructed, hundreds of hours wrapped up in them. Mine was yellow, with patches of recognizable fabric from left over sewing projects. The summer cotton jumper she made for my oldest sister. A polka-dotted material from a swimsuit she made for me when I was 7. She had hand stitched the year, 1976 on each one. Something she was diligent about, preserving time and memories. I still have that quilt and now my youngest daughter curls up in it while watching a movie or uses it on her bed as a throw for a warm decorative feel.
Quilts are not only a representation of craftsmanship and beauty but also heirlooms.
Marilyn Vap has been involved in the Castle Rock Quilting club since the 1980s. This year she is heading up the Harvest Quilt Show at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. There will be close to 100 quilts displayed representing 50 women.
“I love making quilts because of the creativity and giving them to other people,” Vap said.
Her masterpieces are found all over the United States in her nieces and nephews bedrooms. She said she has made maybe “a dozen baby quilts.”
Vap has one granddaughter, now 7-months-old and admits she allowed her daughter to pick out the pink, white and green fabric for the quilt.
“The others get what they get,” Vap said laughing.
She said in two years there were seven weddings that she worked on quilting for gifts. Vap has been quilting since 1966 and enjoys the quilt club and get-togethers once a month. Some of her favorite times are when the club goes on retreats to Estes Park and Monument, where they socialize and finish individual projects.
“I like trying different patterns from books and magazines,” Vap said. She promises an impressive visual display at the library where people will see a variety of quilts and learn the background of the individual quilt at its conception.
Carol Willey, owner of Willey Nice Quilts in Castle Rock remembers one of her favorite quilts.
“I love angels, so my mother made me an angel quilt for my birthday one year,” Willey said. “I could recognize little pieces here and there of fabrics from other quilts. All the angels are holding something cute like flowers, or a star, and one has a puppy. You can look at it forever.”
The Castle Rock Quilt Club president, Meriellen Joga, has been with the club for almost five years.
“I’ve always done crafts, but when I went on a visit to my mom’s house in New Hampshire, we started quilting together. I made a quilt on that visit.” Joga said. This remains her favorite quilt, one she made for her son’s first “big boy bed when he grew out of his crib.”
Joga said, “It’s worse for the wear, but still my favorite.”
Joga also meets with another group called her ‘quiltbee’, two Mondays a month. This group works on the same project together or individual projects. Her proudest team quilt project has been making quilts for soldiers that have been injured in the war.
“They are a patriotic theme,” Joga said. The ladies have presented almost two dozen quilts total to a hospital in Washington D.C. and the Denver Veteran’s Hospital.
“The sheer joy of being able to make something with your hands,” Joga said, “Is the rewarding aspect of quilt making.”
Also, she said the quilting club is a wonderful way to socialize with people who have the same interest as she does. As the club president Joga has tried to keep creative ideas flowing through the group. She has brought in art quilters to talk to the club and speakers who enlighten them with new ideas for color and quilting.
“It’s a wonderful experience. I can’t take credit for keeping the club going because it stays alive all by itself,” Joga said.
A special guest will be present at the Harvest Quilt display, author Carolyn Cullinan McCormick who asked friends, including Joga, to test some of the patterns. McCormick’s most recent book has some of Joga’s quilts as illustrations. McCormick has written four books on quilting. She will be demonstrating quilting techniques and products at the Harvest of Quilt event on Oct. 3.
Joga is excited about the weekend quilt event because she said the work you will see “comes from the heart.” This is not a judged show, although the public will be able to choose their favorite quilts.
My grandmother wouldn’t have wanted her quilts judged either. She was completely happy with knowing we as her grandchildren appreciated her work and thought of her each time we cuddled up in our quilts. When Joga summarized her feelings about quilting I couldn’t help but think of my grandparents in their quiet ritual every evening.
She said “Quilting is like life, kind of. It’s so ordinary, it’s special.”
One Christmas she presented all 12 grandchildren with a handmade quilt, all differently constructed, hundreds of hours wrapped up in them. Mine was yellow, with patches of recognizable fabric from left over sewing projects. The summer cotton jumper she made for my oldest sister. A polka-dotted material from a swimsuit she made for me when I was 7. She had hand stitched the year, 1976 on each one. Something she was diligent about, preserving time and memories. I still have that quilt and now my youngest daughter curls up in it while watching a movie or uses it on her bed as a throw for a warm decorative feel.
Quilts are not only a representation of craftsmanship and beauty but also heirlooms.
Marilyn Vap has been involved in the Castle Rock Quilting club since the 1980s. This year she is heading up the Harvest Quilt Show at the Philip S. Miller Library in Castle Rock. There will be close to 100 quilts displayed representing 50 women.
“I love making quilts because of the creativity and giving them to other people,” Vap said.
Her masterpieces are found all over the United States in her nieces and nephews bedrooms. She said she has made maybe “a dozen baby quilts.”
Vap has one granddaughter, now 7-months-old and admits she allowed her daughter to pick out the pink, white and green fabric for the quilt.
“The others get what they get,” Vap said laughing.
She said in two years there were seven weddings that she worked on quilting for gifts. Vap has been quilting since 1966 and enjoys the quilt club and get-togethers once a month. Some of her favorite times are when the club goes on retreats to Estes Park and Monument, where they socialize and finish individual projects.
“I like trying different patterns from books and magazines,” Vap said. She promises an impressive visual display at the library where people will see a variety of quilts and learn the background of the individual quilt at its conception.
Carol Willey, owner of Willey Nice Quilts in Castle Rock remembers one of her favorite quilts.
“I love angels, so my mother made me an angel quilt for my birthday one year,” Willey said. “I could recognize little pieces here and there of fabrics from other quilts. All the angels are holding something cute like flowers, or a star, and one has a puppy. You can look at it forever.”
The Castle Rock Quilt Club president, Meriellen Joga, has been with the club for almost five years.
“I’ve always done crafts, but when I went on a visit to my mom’s house in New Hampshire, we started quilting together. I made a quilt on that visit.” Joga said. This remains her favorite quilt, one she made for her son’s first “big boy bed when he grew out of his crib.”
Joga said, “It’s worse for the wear, but still my favorite.”
Joga also meets with another group called her ‘quiltbee’, two Mondays a month. This group works on the same project together or individual projects. Her proudest team quilt project has been making quilts for soldiers that have been injured in the war.
“They are a patriotic theme,” Joga said. The ladies have presented almost two dozen quilts total to a hospital in Washington D.C. and the Denver Veteran’s Hospital.
“The sheer joy of being able to make something with your hands,” Joga said, “Is the rewarding aspect of quilt making.”
Also, she said the quilting club is a wonderful way to socialize with people who have the same interest as she does. As the club president Joga has tried to keep creative ideas flowing through the group. She has brought in art quilters to talk to the club and speakers who enlighten them with new ideas for color and quilting.
“It’s a wonderful experience. I can’t take credit for keeping the club going because it stays alive all by itself,” Joga said.
A special guest will be present at the Harvest Quilt display, author Carolyn Cullinan McCormick who asked friends, including Joga, to test some of the patterns. McCormick’s most recent book has some of Joga’s quilts as illustrations. McCormick has written four books on quilting. She will be demonstrating quilting techniques and products at the Harvest of Quilt event on Oct. 3.
Joga is excited about the weekend quilt event because she said the work you will see “comes from the heart.” This is not a judged show, although the public will be able to choose their favorite quilts.
My grandmother wouldn’t have wanted her quilts judged either. She was completely happy with knowing we as her grandchildren appreciated her work and thought of her each time we cuddled up in our quilts. When Joga summarized her feelings about quilting I couldn’t help but think of my grandparents in their quiet ritual every evening.
She said “Quilting is like life, kind of. It’s so ordinary, it’s special.”
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