Barbra Zittel’s mother never understood why her daughter would take up quilting as a hobby.
“She used to say she didn’t know why someone would want to take a piece of cloth, cut it up and then stitch it back together again,” said the Delmar resident with a laugh. “What she didn’t know was putting it together again can be a very supportive and personal thing.”
That network is what has drawn quilters from throughout the greater Capital District since 1977 to Quilters United In Learning Together (Q.U.I.L.T., Inc.). The group started out small, but now has more than 200 members who meet once a month at the Delmar Reformed Church to swap techniques, listen to guest speakers and work on community service projects.
It is believed there are no original members still involved, but member Nancy Schlegel said the group may have been formed because in the ’70s quilting was coming back into vogue. Schlegel said she began quilting around the same time for similar reasons.
“Quilting went out in the 1950s and ‘60s because it was viewed as old fashioned. Everyone wanted to buy things,” said the Castleton-On-Hudson resident. “It came back with the Bicentennial because it was seen as a craft.”
Members aren’t exactly sure what has made the group thrive over so many years, but many feel it’s the social aspect that has drawn new people into the fold.
“I belong to a smaller, local group that meets once a week, but before it was almost like I had been working in a vacuum,” said Linda Miller, 70, of Wynantskill.
A member of the Delmar group for 25 years, Miller said it is often hard to find other people who share similar hobbies, especially as one grows older. The group not only gave her a place to learn new skills, but also a place to make friends.
“Women are becoming empowered,” said Zittel, who is 66. “So much throughout history women have been devalued and I think we are now realizing the importance of being with a women’s group to get the help and experience of our elders and peers. It can be a powerful experience.”
Group members rally together in times of need and are devastated when another member can no longer attend meetings. Before a member recently passed away, she asked the group two favors — to finish the quilt she was in the middle of making and to teach her granddaughter how to quilt. Members who have volunteered are now doing both.
Quilting has also been known to relieve stress. Some members feel the group continues to grow because the next generation is looking for a hobby to distract themselves from high stress jobs or family life.
Susan Leach, 49, of Delmar, said she began quilting 18 years ago after the birth of her son. “I needed a reason to get out of the house and I signed up for a quilting class. Then I got hooked.”
The group is open to those of all experience levels throughout the region.
Q.U.I.L.T. President Holly Pennock said members are now giving Quilting 101 lessons, a program that has been deemed a success. About 25 people have signed up to attend classes.
The group will soon hold its 13th Biennial Quilt Show at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany. The event will showcase quilt work by members and will also feature several guest speakers. A quilt raffle, silent auction, gift boutique and rummage sale will all take place, along with demonstrations, a fashion show and the attendance of quilt vendors.
All of the show’s proceeds go to help the group pay for tools and materials for their service projects that benefit local organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, the Capital District Rescue Mission, Albany Medical Center’s children’s unit and Camp Erin, a local grief support group for children and teens. The money raised also helps the group bring in additional quilt speakers from across the country.
“I think the idea of quilting as an art form is very popular now,” said Schlegel. “A lot of times over the years, women’s work has been transient, like cooking and cleaning. This is something creative and colorful, that lasts generations.”
The 2013 Quilt Show take place on Friday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for one day and $10 for two days.