Mamie’s Quilters held their first annual National Quilt Day Celebration at the Eisenhower Recreation Center and it was a big success. Joining a celebration that began nationally in 1992, this event dubbed “Area Quilters demonstrating the Art of Quilting” featured quilters making quilts, a display table where visitors were encouraged to touch and pick up the quilts and a drawing for a quilt made by one of the Mamie’s Quilters members.
“We are so excited by the turnout,” said Patt Reed a member of the Mamie’s Quilters. In the first hour and a half of the exhibit well over 50 people had attended. And the steady stream of visitors continued.
Various members of Mamie’s Quilters members were steadily working on some of the projects they make for the charities they support , such as lap blankets for the Honor Flight program and placemats for Operation Homebound, as people stopped by to watch or ask questions.
Ardie Wood, a resident of the Village of Sanibel, was working on Honor Flight blankets. She has only been quilting for about a year, but was inspired to make a quilt for donation. She made The Stars and Stripes quilt being given as a prize from the drawing.
Quilters in the group range from beginners to the more experienced artisans such as Susan Woodbury, a Village of Amelia resident, and a quilter for more than 30 years. Her award-winning quilt from the 2015 juried Quilting Guild of the Villages Showcase was on display. Woodbury enjoys being part of a quilting group. Woodbury has made a lot of good friends and likes the team work environment and also the opportunity to help beginning quilters.
Three friends attending the Quilt Day Celebration stopped to admire the quilt. Pat Bruce of the Village of Hemingway and a quilter with the Patchwork Garden quilters at Lake Miona had invited to friends Linda Rubeck and Margo George to come with her.
Two other attendees struck up a friendship at the Quilt Celebration. Jimmie Crockett, a Village of Santiago resident and beginning quilter, met up with Maureen Davison who is here for two months living in Virginia Trace. Davison is a quilter when she is at home in Boston.
“Since I was only coming for February and March, I didn’t bring my machine,” said Davis. She was enjoying the see and touch Quilt Table. “A quilter has to touch fabric to be happy.” She was also very inspired by the quilters making place mats for Operation Homebound and is going to take the idea back to her group in Boston.
Also, enjoying the touch table were Jane and Charles Reaman, seasonal residents staying in Amelia. They came with their friend Margie Coassolo visiting from Pennsylvania. The Dick and Jane quilt caught the eye of retired elementary reading teacher, Margie. “My mom quilted, so I have always had a special appreciation of quilts” added Jane..
The Mamie’s Quilters began in 2014 and meet at the Eisenhower Center year round. They are one of the 19 chapters that make up the Villages Quilt Guild. They have about sixty members and welcome people of all skill levels. There are about 1,100 quilters in the Villages among the 19 chapters.
