The first Quilters Guild meeting of 2022 started with a rousing group response.  “Who are we?” newly elected president Shara Olson asked.  “Quilters!” the group of around 25 members responded.  “What do we need?” Olson continued.  “More fabric!” the group replied.  “What do we do with it?” Olson finished.  “We don’t know—that’s why we’re here!” the group laughed in unison.  The bond between the ladies (although many of them mentioned that men make excellent quilters, the current roster is all women) was clear throughout the meeting and the subsequent breakout sessions.  Many of the group’s members have been members for years, if not decades.  The Quilters Guild is one of those institutions which is at once a treasure-trove of knowledge and skills as well as an ongoing and active community dedicating to continuing to learn and grow.

The Oneida County Quilters Club is one of the strongest and most enduring local organizations, which matches perfectly with their mission as a group.  Beyond being a craft organization (which they certainly are), the Guild is also a major contributor to the community as a whole—undertaking projects to draw themselves and the county together in times of love, loss, celebration, and need.  Beyond the monthly meetings and learning sessions, the Guild also gives back in many ways, from quilts in remembrance of loved ones, to quilts celebrating achievements, to even such things as quilts designed to ease the distress of animals at the animal shelter.  As newly elected president Shara Olson explains, “we reach out to pretty much anybody who needs a quilt made with love.”

The history of the Guild itself is something of a patchwork.  Over time, countless historians have kept their own records, many of which are contained in volumes of pictures with brief descriptions in the Senior Center basement.  There is also an archival record of the Guild’s activities housed at the Oneida County Pioneer Museum.  

Pioneering itself is deeply tied to the history of quilting.  In times when materials were scarce, quilting was a way to make the most of old clothes, scraps of cloth, and reusable materials.  Tammy Benson, a guild member and also a member of the Sons and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, explained the overlap between the two.  “There’s definitely a lot of history in this group,” she said.  Indeed, many of the members trace their lineage back to valley’s original pioneers.  

The Quilters Guild often takes on the task (though it’s clear the Guild would only see it as a labor of love) to make quilts for those who have recently experienced a tragedy, or in memory of those who have passed on.

The Guild provides quilts for the Oneida Crisis Center for those in need of its services.  Often times, when someone is displaced from their home, the first things that seek out are items which provide a sense of comfort and warmth.  Crisis Center Director Holly Llewelyn has nothing but praise for the Guild.  “I just love the quilters, they are wonderful.  Every year they donate a number of quilts to individuals who come into the shelter to start or continue their journey of healing, and it’s an amazing thing.”  Llewelyn explained that she is often the one who is able to wrap the quilt around someone who comes in and give them a first sense of comfort and safety.  “I feel selfish sometimes, because I’m the one who gets to be there to present them with the quilt and see that change.  It sounds cliché, but you can tell it isn’t just a blanket—it’s their amazing handicraft and their love.”  The quilters also run a Toys for Tots donation, which benefits the Center, and makes quilts for a variety of uses.  “I’m sure they sometimes wonder ‘does this make a difference?’ and it does.  It really does.  We can’t thank them enough,” Llewelyn said.

Another thing the Guild does is make quilts for animals who are scheduled to be put down due to health or other reasons.  One of the members had gone through the experience of having to take a pet in to be euthanized, and found that it remained calm when swaddled in a quilt.  Ever since then, the Guild has worked to provide quilts for similar needs in the future.  According to Bailey Wise, Veterinary Technician at Canyon View Cares Animal Hospital, “It comforts both the pets and their owners during the time they have together when they’re saying goodbye to their pets.  It makes a big difference to both of them.”

This summer, as they have in the past, the Guild will put on a quilt show in conjunction with the Welsh Festival.  At present, the Guild is still determining whether to hold the show downtown inside the old Co-op building, or nearer the park at the Fire Station.  In either case, the Quilt Show is a chance for the members to show off some of the amazing work that they do throughout the year, and to give the public a chance to enter a raffle in hopes of winning one of the quilts.  

Each year, the Guild creates “Friendship Quilts,” which are contributed to members of the Guild.  A drawing is held at the beginning of the year among those who have contributed.  This year, Audrey Jaussi and Barbara Lesher were the winners.  The quilts are a wonderful visual reminder of the friendship and skill that are the spirit of the group.

Each meeting is comprised of an agenda that includes a Show n Tell portion, where those who are working on or have completed projects recently can share those with the group; updates to Guild membership rules; planning for future projects; demonstrations of new techniques; groups work on quilting projects; and a luncheon provided by members.  There is also ample time for the members to catch up, talk, and enjoy each other’s company.

During this week’s Show n Tell, Audrey Jaussi, for instance, showed off several highly skilled quilts.  One of them is for a brother who is ill, which is a common motivation for the quilting that the guild does.  Seeking to comfort those in distress is an ongoing theme.  Other projects are more light-hearted, as was Helen Howell’s.  She was given a yard of “the ugliest fabric available” to make a quilt out of.  It, of course, turned out beautifully.  Some projects are seasonal, like Cindy Gevas’ Christmas quilt, and some are new attempts at different methods, like the quilt Brenda Daniels displayed.  The Show n Tell can also be a multi-generational affair.  In November, for instance, Cindy Gevas showed off a set of projects involving her daughter and granddaughter, who were in attendance.

The meetings also give the Guild time to update the members on changes to policies and membership changes.  In addition to discussing the location of the Welsh Festival Quilt Show, the group was also joined by Carrie Hess from Allen Drug to discuss a new Fabric Club card, which will replace the Guild’s Fabric card at the store.  

After the business, the Guild divided up into separate stations.  Some of the quilters went to work on ongoing quilting/tying projects.  Others worked at tables to learn new techniques and strategies for quilting.  Tammy Benson brought in a number of desk tops for members to take and use as design boards.  The desks were reclaimed from the old school and make a perfect surface for cutting and designing squares on.  Benson suggested some ways to add backing to the boards to make them even more effective.

As the Guild broke into smaller groups, the clear bonds of sorority and warmth were clear throughout the room.  Advice, conversation, and laughter filled the room as the group busied themselves as lunch was readied in the background. 

The Enterprise would like to extend a special thank you to Audrey Jaussi, whose excellent write-ups of the group’s meetings over 2021 were meticulous and full of the warmth and goodwill one encounters in person at the meetings.