For the last 10 years, a group of Hamilton women gather every winter in their warm church for a new-fangled version of an old-fashioned quilting bee. Each January, Penelope Stoddard introduces a new pattern and offers guidance, advice and assistance in piecing the patterns together to a group of more than a dozen women ranging in ages from pre-teen to mid-70s. A queen-size quilt can cost up to $300 to make after totalling receipts for quality fabrics, notions and the final touch of professional long-arm quilting. This year, the group is following a pattern called “Cornerstones” piecing together approximately 750 2-inch squares using their chosen spectrum of coordinating fabrics. Stoddard has taken over the volunteer responsibilities of instructing the church quilting class and appreciates the friendships she gained with women young and old who “didn’t seem to have anything in common before but I consider close friends now. read more

Tags: quilt, fabrics, quilting, class, quilting patterns, stoddard