Stitched together: quilting community remains popular in Flathead Valley

While some may be under the impression that quilting is a dying art, members of local quilting groups like the Flathead Quilters’ Guild would beg to differ. The guild makes quilts to give back to the community, works toward putting on their annual quilt show and most importantly, connects those who have a passion for fiber arts.

On a windy March morning, guild members gathered at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell to get together and sew quilts for Logan Health Medical Center. It’s part of an outreach program that has been running since 1995, according to guild spokesperson Audrey Hyvonen. 

“For more than 30 years this outreach group has been meeting once a month — sometimes with specialty days dedicated to sandwiching quilts or cutting strips ready to make into kits, or sometimes just kind of free for all quilting,” Hyvonen said.

Currently, the guild is making quilts for four departments of the Kalispell hospital: the hematology, oncology infusion center, radiation oncology, the dialysis clinic and the Children’s Hospital. Hyvonen said at the end of the year, they will also create bed-sized quilts for children who have a Court Appointed Special Advocate. 

“Last year in 2023, we donated 132 quilts. So far this year, we're averaging 15 to 16 a month. That's our goal, so we can get four quilts to the four departments of the hospital that we donate to,” Hyvonen said. 

Cathy Calloway has been a guild member for 15 years. The outreach is her favorite part of being in the organization, as the smaller group sizes allowed her to get to know her fellow quilters better. She said it’s nice to be quilting for a good cause and reflected fondly on her time volunteering to help distribute the quilts. 

She said seeing gratitude from the community after months of hard work is rewarding.

“We get thank you letters from people who've received the quilts and it's really heartwarming to hear some of the stories of how grateful people are and how touched they are by those quilts,” Calloway said. 

Linda Anderson is also part of the outreach group. She’s been part of the guild for nearly 30 years and said she still enjoys losing herself in the hobby.

“It's a way to get out of yourself. Because you're doing something that's repetitive and it's a very relaxing thing to do. And once you get started on the project, it doesn't require a lot of outside interaction. It can just be you and your machine,” Anderson said. 

Back when she joined the guild in 1995, the average age of a quilter was 63-years-old. In her opinion, that hasn’t changed much. 

“It's not something that people with young children and not a lot of free time care to participate in,” Anderson said. “Working women with children don't have a lot of free time. You have to have free time and you also have to have disposable income, because quilting is expensive.” 

The Flathead Quilters Guild has around 120 members, according to its website. Hyvonen said while it isn’t necessarily reflected in their current membership, there is a growing interest in quilting in online spaces for younger people. 

“It's super because it's a visual art and it's technique-based, there's a lot that you can learn from other people. And because of the internet, we have a lot of access to that. And I think it's tremendous and it's growing rapidly,” Hyvonen said. 

FLATHEAD QUILTERS are working to bridge this gap between traditional quilters and people learning the hobby on their own, encouraging them to draw from local resources, like educational opportunities the guild offers. It’s something that will strengthen the connection between traditional and the contemporary, says Hyvonen.

Strengthening that connection will be at play in their upcoming fall quilt show as well, according to Hyvonen, who is the event’s volunteer publicity chairperson. The theme this year will be “Think Modern Montana” with an emphasis on the modern quilt movement. Modern quilts differ from traditional block quilts by experimenting with color and pattern, not adhering to the typical borders and rows. Hyvonen said the show’s theme has already caught people's attention in nearby modern quilting guilds.

“It's a fun way to kind of invite a new angle of looking at the art of quilting and the utility of quilting and how they crossover. There's definitely some folks who are not excited about change and feel some resistance, who we’re really encouraging to step out of their box and try something new,” Hyvonen said. “And I think people will be really delighted by what our, I would say, more traditional guild members are experimenting with and how their artistry will come out in a new way as they push into new territory.”

The Flathead Quilters’ Guild has a modern quilting group, as well as other interest groups like the art group, which has a focus on “surface design exploration.” As a member of the modern quilting group, Calloway is looking forward to seeing the quilts in the modern traditionalism category, which combines the traditional block with a modern twist.

“Maybe you take one block and make it really big or take it but leave out parts of the traditional block to give it a little bit of a different twist. It's kind of taking the old blocks, but making them new in some way,” Calloway said.

The guild has a group of 20 members who volunteer as chairpersons to tackle the annual showcase. Not only does the show give the chance for local artists to show off their quilts, but also to buy tools and fabric from local vendors and connect with fellow quilters.

This year the featured quilter will be Merrie Ford, the youngest of the 13 founding members of the Flathead Quilters Guild. Ford is a Bigfork resident who has a passion for modern quilts. 

While guild members put a lot of time into the quilt show, they also have a big emphasis on education. At the monthly meetings, members hear from a teacher or draw from their own knowledge to explore new techniques and patterns, among other topics. 

“Tools are something that we care a lot about as mentors. I've done teachings on ergonomics, how you're using your body, making sure if you want to quilt for the rest of your life, you need to be able to move your body the rest of your life,” Hyonen said. “How do you use your cutting tools properly to not develop wrist tendonitis? There's a lot of hand, shoulder, back and neck injuries through repetitive use that affect quilters.” 

Members also hold a kid’s quilting camp in June, where 15 participants complete a quilt over a week. According to the guild’s website, the camp teaches basic sewing and quilting skills to youth between 12 and 16-years-old. This year’s camp takes place between June 10-24, those interested in learning more can reach out to Sylvia Kerchner at sylvia.kerchner@gmail.com. 

The Flathead Quilters’ Guild meets the first Thursday of each month (except July.) Social time starts at 6:15 p.m., with the business meeting and program starting at 6:30 p.m. The group meets at the Gateway Community Center in Room 26, located on the east side of the building.

The guild’s 2024 Quilt Show will take place at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Sept. 20 and 21. To learn more about the Flathead Quilters’ Guild, visit www.flatheadquilters.org

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com. 

    Linda Anderson irons the quilt titled "Mile a Minute" during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    A patch sewn onto one of around 16 quilts created by members of the Flathead Quilters' Guild that they donate each month to different branches of Logan Health as well as CASA for Kids, Flathead County. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Cathy Calloway, a member of the Flathead Quilters' Guild, stitches together individual quilt blocks on her Singer Featherweight sewing machine from the 1930s during one of the Guild's sewing days at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Nancy Richwine, left, gives a few pointers about how to stitch mountains for a Delectable Mountains quilt to Shelly Withall, Adelyn Moss and Valerie Peters during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Cathy Calloway, a member of the Flathead Quilters' Guild, stitches together individual quilt blocks on her Singer Featherweight sewing machine from the 1930s during one of the Guild's sewing days at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    The Flathead Quilters' Guild donates around 16 quilts each month to different branches of Logan Health as well as CASA for Kids, Flathead County. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Rolls of quilting fabric during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jan Shanahan holds one of the colorful bindings she was creating for the edge of the quilts during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Adelyn Moss and Linda Anderson hold up a quilt titled "Mile A Minute" during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Shelly Withall cuts material to create mountains in a "Delectable Mountains" quilt during a Flathead Quilters' Guild sewing day at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Cathy Calloway's individual quilt blocks during one of the Guild's sewing days at the Quilt Gallery in Kalispell on Wednesday, March 13. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider