By Karen Flaten
In 2004, a few women who worked together in the St. Cloud area decided to go to a quilting retreat together. One of the women said she wanted to go, but her husband would be more likely to be OK with the trip if more women were going. So they asked a few more women. Soon there was a large group of women who all went to a quilting retreat at Camp Friendship that winter. They enjoyed it so much that they decided to do it again. And again. After a while, the group of women branched out on their own, finding large homes or retreat centers to rent, and began meeting twice a year – Spring and Fall – for their own quilting retreats.
“Most of us are nurses (or are retired from nursing),” said Sharon Klehr-Froehle, “and we are all quilters. But at the beginning there were some women who enjoyed scrapbooking. They would work on their scrapbooking and the rest of us would work on our sewing projects.”
“But now we are all quilters,” continued Sharon, acknowledging that some women learned to quilt through coming to the retreats.
Some of us may think of quilting as it was done during the days of the frontier – perhaps at a quilting bee, with many women sitting around a quilting frame, stitching the layers of a quilt together by hand. Sometimes the group would have included children, who sat under the frame and helped out by pushing the needle back up after it was pushed through the layers. In those days, quilting was a group activity, a joint endeavor. We may remember patchwork quilts, made of leftover scraps of material which were put to use in making a quilt. But for most contemporary quilters, those days are gone. In fact, quilting has become more of a creative outlet, and is even considered by many to be an art form.
The transition took place over several years. As sewing machines became available to most households in the U.S. during the late 1800s, hand sewing became less and less popular. Materials also became more available and less expensive. For most contemporary quilters, the top layer of a quilt or quilted item is made using a sewing machine, sewing together pieces which are often cut from a pattern purchased at a quilt store or supplier. The top layer, batting (filling) and bottom layer (back) are basted together or held together with pins, and then the layers are often sent or brought to a business (sometimes the quilt shop) which does long-arm quilting to be joined together as a quilt. There are some people who do their own quilting, usually using their own sewing machine - but it is difficult to push a large item through the gap between the needle and the rest of the machine (the “arm”). The material can get stuck or can become uneven, and have to be ripped out and redone. So, especially for large quilts, many quilters have turned to using a long-arm quilting machine to complete the quilt.
But long-arm quilting machines are expensive, so often the job falls to a professional, who does the quilting for others. Long-arm quilting machines offer many stitching options, and can be programmed to quilt automatically or held by the operator to create custom designs. This way, the quilt is made with the beauty of the pattern itself, as well as the intricate stitching of the quilting – whether custom or pre-programmed stitches.
“Usually there are 12 to 16 people who attend the quilting retreats,” said Sharon Klehr-Froehle. One of the members keeps a list of who is coming. There is a list of alternates, as well, just in case someone cannot come after all. The women bring their own sewing machines and the projects they are currently working on. They set up their machines at long tables (provided by the retreat center) which also have a lamp and a chair at each station. They can expect conversation and ideas to be flowing, along with music and a little constructive criticism.
The women are often working on their own projects – baby quilts, quilts for graduates and/or other family members - but many of the women are also members of the St. Cloud Heritage Quilters of Minnesota. Through this quilting guild, they have also created Quilts of Valor for Veterans, which are awarded “to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war,” according to the Quilts of Valor website. They have also made quilts and other items for the Coborn Cancer Center at Centracare Plaza, as well as for other charities or fundraisers.
This year marked the 20th year that the group of women has continued their tradition of quilting and friendship. For their 20th Anniversary, they met in Hutchinson, at a favorite retreat center. Along with the usual sewing, conversation, and music, they had a theme for each day, and added in games and events. Saturday night a dinner party was planned, complete with cocktails and appetizers on the patio. Because it was their 20th Anniversary Celebration, they invited other people to the dinner party – people who have been involved with the quilters and their retreats over the years. They have also each committed to making a special commemorative quilt – a Barnstar Sampler – which they displayed for each other. It’s a pattern that can be made in a variety of colors and fabrics, so the quilts will look different, even though they are made from the same pattern.
Over the years, the group has developed a plan for their meals on retreat weekends. On Thursdays, they order from a local pizza place. (They have gotten to know the local pizza delivery people and usually have a group photo taken on pizza night.) On Fridays and Saturdays, a few of the women (usually 4 women for each meal) cook the brunch and dinner meals. Everyone brings snacks to rely on outside meal times. Sundays are clean-out-the-fridge-days, so there’s a little of everything. The meals have been so good that now they are also exchanging recipes!
On the Friday of their 20th Anniversary Celebration, the women gathered on the front porch of the retreat center, their Barnstar Sampler quilts displayed on the railing in front of them. The designs are vibrant and colorful; each of the women stood behind her own quilt, proudly smiling.
Jennifer Simondet, who described herself as a new quilter, lay out her current quilt design on the family room carpet. She also brought along the “T-shirt quilt” she made for the graduate in her family – made of his high school T-shirts - and showed the other items she has quilted, including quilted bags and even a small fabric trash can.
Sharon Klehr-Froehle brought a 50-State Quilt she had made. She embroidered the squares, then pieced them together, then quilted them in a diamond shape or “on point,” as she described it. Sharon also shared a microwave dish (used for taking a hot dish out of the microwave), and some unique coasters she had made.
Jennifer Nitz has become the “Quilting Coach” of the group. She helps people who are having difficulties with their projects and is often able to troubleshoot problems with sewing machines. She has taken charge of arranging the retreats, making reservations and collecting the deposits from the others. Jennifer also owns her own long-arm quilting machine, and has a business devoted to doing long-arm quilting. Laying a few of her quilts over the backs of the kitchen stools, she showed some of the quilts she has finished using her long-arm quilting machine.
“I have been part of the group for 19 of the 20 years!” said Julie Van Vleet. She displayed her Cat’s Pajamas Quilt, as well as a quilted Pickleball bag she had made.
Debbie Van Vleet, Julie’s sister-in-law, showed a few of the potholders and bags she has created as part of this quilting group and held up a beautiful floral “Christmas quilt” with a border in greens and burgundies. “I did my own quilting,” she said proudly, “using the holly leaf design.”
Barb Klover from Paynesville said she “has made too many quilts!” She is currently working on embroidery, appliqué and cross-stitch projects. And, as she sat at her station, she sewed “yoyos,” small, hand-stitched fabric circles which can be used to make many other craft items, even dolls.
Linda Davis showed her “sweater weather” mug warmer and a coin purse she created.
Paulette Bober-Lind displayed the “Bear quilt” she is making for her grandson. Originally, she started attending retreats with the group as a scrapbooker, but soon took up quilting. She brought an apron and a bag to show as well.
LuAnn Brown brought a “Mystery Quilt” to show. She also held up her “Little Cowpoke” quilt, a cute design to make for a young boy.
Tammy Huberty stood beside a hunting quilt she made for her husband, showing two huge bucks with large racks and a small doe or juvenile deer in a woodland clearing. The yellow and black geometric design of the border made a bold statement.
Linda Peterson, who is creating a “North Dakota” potholder, brought not just a sewing machine, but an embroidery machine. As she demonstrated the embroidering, she pointed out the memory stick connected to the side. “I upload the design to the memory stick,” she said, “and then the machine reads it…see how the machine embroiders the design onto the potholder?” The design on the screen was then embroidered onto the fabric in the machine as Linda guided the fabric.
The many years of quilting together has created a cohesive group of friends who are devoted to each other. They have supported each other and quilted together through many of life’s events – births of children and grandchildren, graduations, marriages, and so many other occasions. They love to learn, find new patterns, and have enjoyed working on their own projects as well as those for charities.
“We learn so much from each other,” said Sharon Klehr-Froehling. “We share designs – when someone makes something we all like, we ask if we can use that pattern or that design.” The ladies all agreed, showing different versions of a quilted bag that many have made – using different fabrics - after seeing the original. The group all seemed to be in agreement that they have a special friendship, definitely a friendship to be celebrated with a 20th Anniversary Celebration!