Over the span of the pandemic, quilters with the Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club made mountains of work to benefit community agencies, children and nonprofits — and of course, simply for fun.
Now, after having to cancel their annual Quilt Show twice due to health precautions, quilters are preparing to bring back the event, one they say is COVID-safe and more spread out.
Typically set during Sequim Lavender Weekend, the third weekend each July, the club has moved its show to one day on July 16, to be held outdoors at Pioneer Memorial Park, 387 E. Washington St.
Club president Marianne Nolte said it’ll be their first event outdoors, with their Country Store and vendors inside the clubhouse.
“It should be about 200 quilts like in the past (at Sequim Middle School),” she said.
“There’ll be more space to hang (quilts) with the potential for it to be bigger.”
Norma Herbold, co-chair for the show, said club members have been busy the last two years and have a lot of quilts to display.
One of the promotional elements leading up to the show has been ticket sales of the club’s annual raffle quilt. This year, “Down on the Farm” has 5,000 tickets available to benefit the club’s charitable work and educational opportunities.
“We’re ready to get this out to the community,” Herbold said.
Described as “farm vintage,” the quilt will go on a Sequim tour this spring and summer.
Up first, it’ll be at the Sequim Museum and Arts, 544 N. Sequim Ave., 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, April 1, as part of First Friday Art Walk.
It’ll be featured at the Sequim Farmers and Artisans Market three times this season, too.
When not at events, the quilt will be on display at A Stitch in Time Quilt Shoppe, 225 E. Washington St., during regular business hours, with raffle tickets available.
Herbold and fellow co-chair Sue Stednick, said that because of COVID-19 limitations, the club didn’t sell out tickets for the previous two raffle quilts, but that they hope to have tickets sold out by the July 2022 show.
The drawing for “Down on the Farm” will be in the second week of December to allow more time for ticket sales, just in case, organizers said.
Proceeds help the club purchase supplies to make quilts for community groups to raffle, and for educational opportunities for members such as presentations from professionals.
Herbold said they’re available to show the quilt and speak about the club to local businesses and groups; she can be reached at slavenderlady@gmail.com.
Tickets are $1 each and only adults 18 and older can purchase them due to state provisions.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ “Down on the Farm” was pieced together by Bonnie Filgo, quilted by Dory Miller and finished by Bonnie Cauffman. “It was lots of fun,” Filgo said, including images of farm life, such as images of canning supplies, fruit, a milk can, thread, a barn and more.
More quilts
“Down on the Farm” was pieced together by Bonnie Filgo, quilted by Dory Miller and finished by Bonnie Cauffman.
“It was lots of fun,” Filgo said.
The quilt includes images of farm life, such as images of canning supplies, fruit, a milk can, thread, a barn and more.
“I like that it has lots of colors,” Filgo said. “(Miller) did such a great job, too.”
Filgo said she received permission to use the design from its originator Lori Holt from her book, “Farm Girl Vintage.”
Another newer quilt making the rounds is the club’s Community Service Quilt.
In 2021, Nolte originated the idea of creating a quilt that shows the logos of the organizations the quilt club supports.
Club member Linda Wesseler contacted each organization for permission to use their logo, and she and Gladis Marr —both past vice-presidents with the club — pieced it together once squares were completed.
Participants included Suzan Baranowski, Helga Barton, Loretta Bilow, Bonnie Caufffman, Toni Cline, Rhonda Coler, Nancy Foro, Carol Geer, Linda Huggins, Eunice Kappmeyer, Marr, Nolte, Martha Scott, Irene Snodgrass, Wesseler and Nancy Wilcox. Coler donated her long arm quilting skills, too.
Nolte said those depicted were agencies they just supported the last two years.
Through each year, Sunbonnet Sue’s 160 members make hundreds of quilts big and small to help people in tough situations, for births, the end of life, celebrations and more.
Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club members meet weekly, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesdays at the Sequim Masonic Temple, 700 S. Fifth Ave. Business meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. Meetings feature classes, presentations, sharing and more.
For more information, visit Sunbonnetsuequiltclub.org.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Gladis Marr and Linda Wesseler, past vice-presidents of the Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club, worked together to piece together the club’s Community Service Quilt. They and several club members made individual blocks, too. “We wanted to let people know about all the organizations we support and who in turn give back to the community,” Marr said.
