Volunteers, who participated in sew-ins sponsored by Safe Alternatives for Everyone, create quilts carried in Murrieta Police Department vehicles for use by children or others in need during police activity. Wrapped in protective plastic in the trunks of Murrieta police cars are quilts made by a group of volunteers who donated their time, fabric and talent to give comfort to children in distress, victims of accidents and crimes, and rescued pets. The quilts are provided to the Police Department by volunteers who participated in the Safe Alternatives For Everyone sew-ins held in March and mid-May at the Murrieta Public Library. The group of volunteers made more than 40 quilts, which are being kept in the police vehicles for anyone who needs comfort during an emergency situation, Niles said. The quilts have been made from material thrown in by donors, but more fabric will be needed as children and victims claim their quilts. A group of volunteers sews quilts that are kept in the vehicles of the Murrieta and Temecula police officers.

Kail, who works in the accounting department at Kingsgate Insurance in Fort Dodge, painted a North Star pattern on a four-foot-by-four-foot barn quilt, which is displayed on the south side of the building that houses the town’s post office. Like many barn quilt creators, Kail uses three-quarter-inch plywood, although some barn quilt makers favor the smooth surface of sign board. If you’re making more than one barn quilt or have a friend who is also making a barn quilt, it often pays to buy these paints and primers by the gallon, added Kail, who has painted four of the barn quilts in Farnhamville. When Kail wanted purple for her backyard barn quilt, for example, she simply blended red and blue implement paint until she achieved the desired color.

In the generous breezeway at the center of the Kapa’a Neighborhood Center, tables form an “L” where twenty women gather for their quilting class. Vega has been teaching quilting at the center for 19 years. Vega took matters into her own hands by inviting fifteen other women interested in learning the art of Hawaiian appliqué to form a class. Three years ago, the center came under the umbrella of the Parks and Recreation Department so the 55 age limit was lifted.

Tags: center, quilting machine, years, quilting fabrics, vega, appliqué

Paula Caldwell (left) and Polly Scott (center), both of Harrisonburg, and Dianne Louvet of Craigsville examine The Pidgeon Family Quilt, part of the Virginia Quilt Museum’s newest exhibit, “Quilts and Quaker Heritage. Before many people had a chance to see the new “Quilts and Quaker Heritage” exhibit at the Virginia Quilt Museum, director Joan Knight made a prediction. A legal assistant and community dance instructor living in Winchester, Robare became an impromptu quilt researcher seven years ago when she decided to look into the history of “The Pidgeon Family Quilt,” a family heirloom passed down on her husband Christopher’s side. Thanks to connections among families and museums, Robare found more than enough quilts to put together “Quilts and Quaker Heritage. Researcher Debra McCauslin discovered that “The Quaker Valley Quilt,” given to Pennsylvania’s Menallen Meeting in honor of William and Rosanna Wright, contains a block representing former slave Mary Payne of Rappahannock County, who became a Quaker.