The bustling quilting scene in Clark County is a haven for budding quilters seeking to delve into the art form. With a historic and helpful quilting community, a wealth of knowledge is available for those who wish to learn.
Though quilting can seem daunting, Clark County Quilters (CCQ) President-elect Vivian Angerman encourages beginners to join a group. Seasoned quilters are often happy to share the secrets to success and offer encouragement to beginners. Clark County may be one of the best locations to learn quilting in the United States, Angerman said.
“I call this the quilt Mecca because I feel there are so many talented people just all consolidated in one area,” Angerman said.
Welcoming newcomers is a regular part of the CCQ experience, Angerman said. With the recent growth in Clark County’s population, she expects more newcomers to join the quilting scene as interest grows.
The freedom of quilting is perhaps one of the most attractive parts of learning to quilt, Susan Engleking, owner of Country Manor Fabrics in Battle Ground, said.
“There’s never any right or wrong thing about quilting,” Engleking said. “There’s no police. You can do whatever you wanna do.”
The social aspect of quilting also brings many members to the community, professional quilter and CCQ member Judith Phelps said.
“Quilting is a community-type thing,” Phelps said. “It builds up your confidence and encourages you to reach out and try something new you might not have otherwise.”
Quilting attracts individuals from all walks of life, young and old. To former CCQ President Su Holmes, it’s one of the most beautiful things about the quilting community.
“The biggest thing is the companionship that you get from the people you learn from. You make friends, and that’s a lot of the glue that holds the [CCQ] guild together,” Holmes said. “We don’t all have to think alike or like the same things, but we usually get along well. We’re all here to craft and quilt and make something beautiful.”
The most difficult part of learning to quilt may be selecting a method, Su Holmes said. Quilting methods are generally broken down into four categories: pieced quilts, paper pieced quilts, applique quilts and art quilts, Holmes said.
Piecing quilts is a traditional method that involves cutting fabric pieces and meticulously sewing them together. The final result is a patchwork-style quilt.
Paper pieced quilts are created by cutting paper templates. The cut paper is used to arrange intricate quilted patterns and serve as a guideline for cutting the fabric pieces. A variation, called English paper piecing, wraps the fabric around the paper guides. The paper template and fabric are sewn together as part of the quilt.
Applique quilts use a background fabric layer with overlaid pieces of fabric. Applique quilts often feature embellishments, such as lace and beads.
Art quilts are typically used as display pieces due to their delicate nature and mixture of mediums. Art quilts are frequently composed of fabric, paint and other artistic materials such as metal.
Another category that splits quilt types is machine quilting versus hand quilting. Machine quilting involves using a sewing machine. Small, domestic sewing machines can be used to create small quilts. Larger quilts are sewn using long, commercially-sized machines called long arms. Hand sewing is traditional and allows quiltors to create precise and delicate stitches. It takes considerable time and creates weaker stitches than a machine, however.
With the surging popularity of quilting, many other methods and quilting styles have been created. CCQ’s monthly meetings include lectures from professional quilters across the world, who have developed their own techniques.
In addition to groups, Holmes and Engleking encourage beginner quilters to visit their local fabric stores. Many offer classes and can help beginners find suitable equipment to begin quilting within their price range.
“If you don’t have a sewing machine, they can steer you into the right model that fits you and your budget, which is always a consideration because this is a really expensive hobby,” Holmes said.
To learn more about quilting in Clark County, visit quiltguilds.com/washington-quilt-guilds.
