Community Quilting Project @ Hickory Corner Branch Library

The thought that we could have a Community Quilting Project at the library struck me quite unexpectedly. It might have been simmering forever as a constant draw towards fabric, colors, and patterns. Or it might have slowly infused from seeing donated sarees sitting under my desk for more than a year. Quilting requires bringing together fabric and patterns skillfully, something I had never done before. 

Feeling this is amazing and someone ought to stop me in equal measure, I promptly checked with two of my trusted creatives--“Do you think this doable?” And as luck would have had it, they encouraged my flash of inspiration. Even more serendipitous was the fact that around the same time we had created a new workspace for patrons at the branch, and the bare walls there were begging for artwork. Not to mention, a super-important enthusiastic reception of the idea from my supervisor. Our quilt would be created at our branch and it would also end up having a home in our library!

I started with a “how-to” video and was immediately caught by a “quilt as you go” video. It was a Kantha stitch quilt and it spoke to the style of working that I seem to follow. Kantha is a simple stitch that handcrafters all over India use to make traditional quilts. As it is with homemade quilts, the pattern is not pre-conceived but formed intuitively as work progresses. The pattern itself is not the main concern, because the idea is to employ leftover fabric to make something useful. The tools required are fairly simple as well; a sewing machine is optional. It seemed like a perfect setup for a beginner quilter to bring in other beginner quilters to form a community project!

Eight very excited folks, who had little-to-no quilting experience, came to the first meeting. We had a sense of ease around each other because of having worked together in our Adult Crafting programs. We briefly discussed ideas, space, technique, and skills and promptly jumped in, placing our fabric squares on a saree, envisioning how everything might fit in. Some of the fabric was put together with the sewing machine, but most of it is being hand-stitched - happy time spent working together on a creative project.

If you ask me, the way to attempt something as daunting as quilting is as simple as finding a craft group at the library, but for those that would like to know more before they dive in, check out these titles:

The Art of Make-Do Quilting: The Ultimate Guide for Working with Vintage Textiles by Mary W. Kerr

Perfect Hand Quilting Without Pain by Liuxin Newman

Quick and Easy Scrap Quilts by Patricia Wilens

Quilting the World Over by Willow Ann Soltow

And, take a look at the Creativebug resource - thousands of award-winning art and craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists.

- by Shilpa S., Hickory Corner Branch