Payson Roundup

Teresa McQuerrey/Roundup

With the different fabrics neatly identified, the students in the Strawberry Patchers’ quilting class at Pine library just have to sit down and start sewing with supervision by members of the quilt group.

Inspired by the two youthful entrants in the recent Strawberry Patchers Quilt Show, the Isabelle Hunt Memorial Library in Pine added a quilting class for youth to its summer enrichment program.

The class is for two hours each day, July 7, July 10, July 14 and July 17 and is designed for youngsters ages 6 to 17.

The members of the Strawberry Patchers have teamed up with the library staff to present the program.

“What they’re doing is just so wonderful,” said Becky Waer, director of the Pine library.

The Patchers are making kits with everything the participants will need. The kits are free and include fabrics appropriate to all ages and both girls and boys.

Only 15 youngsters will be enrolled and no late registrations will be taken.

“In order to send them all home with a completed quilt, there just won’t be time to go over any of the work,” said Wilma Hitterman, who is organizing the class.

The class participants will have a 56-inch-by-48-inch strip quilt by the time the program ends.

The original pattern called for strips of varying widths, but to meet the time limit of the four-session class, the Patchers modified the pattern so the students will be working with only four-inch strips of fabric. The strips are pre-cut, as are the materials for the backing and binding.

The one part of the project totally in the hands of the participants are the appliqués they will put on their quilts. They may choose up to eight appliqués, which they will draw themselves to create a pattern and then cut and apply to their quilts.

The Strawberry Patchers are providing the sewing machines and two members will do the pressing and two others will take care of the rotary cutting for the participants.

The first session of the program will be devoted to sewing the quilt tops together, using the pre-cut strips.

The young people will work with the batting, backings and quilting in the second session.

During the third session the time will be spent working on the appliqués and, if there is time, the participants will start binding the edges of the quilts.

The last session of the program, the youngsters will complete binding the edges of their quilts, Hitterman said.

The summer enrichment quilting class is the first of its kind the Strawberry Patchers have teamed up with the Pine library to present. The group has had children’s quilting classes at the Quilters Outpost in Payson though.

“We hope to continue these kind of classes in the future,” Hitterman said.

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