Welcome to Quilting for Community
press center
Media contact: Lizz Leral at 818.477.2273 or info@quiltingforcommunity.org
Social Media and Info:
Quilting for Community is located at 21706 Devonshire St. Chatsworth, CA 91311
Q4C Mission: To build community by teaching free quilting classes. We give our quilts away as symbols of hope, peace & encouragement to those in hospitals, hospice, and shelters.
What is Quilting for Community?
Quilting for Community (Q4C) provides free quilt making classes in a creative, inclusive, inter-generational and multicultural environment.
Removing cost barriers allows a sense of belonging and empowers individuals to express their creativity regardless of their economic circumstances.
The quilts are donated to people in need.
Q4C Design Center offers low-cost sewing space, quilting machine rentals, specialized classes, and discounted fabric sales.
Q4C participates in community events reaching thousands of people annually. The Q4C booths feature hands-on project making, mending stations, and/or quilt and fabric sales raising curiosity and interest from persons who have never been exposed to fiber arts.
Q4C accepts donated fabric to keep scraps out of the landfill and to generate fabric sales income to continue free and low cost programs.
Q4C in the Press/Media
Valley View News: Cal State Northridge 3-28-2022_starts at 26:10
Silver Linings of the Pandemic - CSUN 05-3-2021 article and audio
Daily Sundial article on Q4C making pandemic face masks article 4-14-2020 and audio
Media Ready Photos and Logo
Milestones at Q4C
2018
Q4C begins as a vision for people of diverse backgrounds to access quilt making regardless of economic circumstances.
Northridge Reseda Art Walk. Q4C runs a block-printing station for a community quilt.
2019
Kingdom Sewing partnership provides 120 sq ft space for Q4C free quilting classes.
First delivery of 60 baby quilts to Northridge Hospital.
First Q4C youth empowerment program for Opportunities for Learning high school students to earn community service hours by collaborating on baby and lap quilts for donation.
2020
Q4C goes on Zoom to provide free live online classes during the pandemic.
Volunteers sew and donate face masks for essential healthcare workers.
Initiates the Artists & Quilters series of free live artist presentations online.
Q4C moves to the showroom space at Kingdom Sewing.
Online class reservation system is initiated. Safe sewing work spaces are set up for in-person sewing.
2021
Long arm quilting machine classes and rental are offered for the first time.
2022
Q4C moves to a shared space with My Creative Outlet in Chatsworth, CA for 9 mos.
Q4C produces The Valley Artisan Fest funded by The City of LA, Dept. of Cultural Affairs. 35 artists share their expertise by providing free demos in visual arts, music, dance, quilt/fiber arts, and cooking to over 750 attendees.
Q4C signs a lease and moves to its own 1000 sq ft space at 21706 Devonshire St in Chatsworth, CA. The Q4C Design Center is born.
CA Senator Emeritus Hertzberg recognizes Q4C efforts with a Resolution.
2023
Q4C adds adjoining 500 sq ft totaling 1500 sq ft, allowing room for more classes.
Partnership with Cal State Northridge EOP: Students collaborate to make quilts while learning employable skills like team work, persistence, and problem solving. Finished quilts are showcased at an EOP culminating student projects event.
Weekly Q4C sewing mending station at Cal State Northridge attracts college youth to fix, recycle and repurpose clothing.
Q4C serves 25-30 daily visitors, approximately 550 people per month, and over 6,600 by year end. 1,100 class reservations are made in 2023.
To date, 1,120 quilts are made and donated to families & individuals served by the following partner organizations: Hope the Mission, UCLA Homeless Healthcare Services, Southern CA Hospice Foundation, Northridge Hospital, San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission.
2024
Q4C is featured in KTLA’s LA Unscripted news program, aired January 11, 2024.
Art student from Oberlin College in Ohio joins Q4C as our first ever intern.
Q4C hosts creative community groups in need of a meeting space: Writer’s Block, Friends of Fiber Art, and HaGomel Foundation.
Q4C delivers 49 quilts for families served by Hope The Mission
Internship program partnership with various academic departments at Cal State Northridge begins.
UCLA’s Hammer Museum exhibit by fashion designer and artist Wataru Kominga features a quilting bee performance exhibit in which Q4C’s Lizz Leral leads artists in crafting a patchwork quilt while visitors watch the process. The finished quilt is exhibited through August 4. 2024 as part of Kominga’s exhibit “Refashioning”.
The Center for Visual Art by Metropolitan State University of Denver features artist Corey Pemberton in a multimedia exhibition from Aug 1- Oct 19, 2024. The exhibits “Piece by Piece & Crafting the Future: Layers” includes a larger than life Community Quilt House made in collaboration with Q4C. The House walls consist of various quilts to celebrate teamwork, friendship, home, and safety. Corey celebrates the support he receives at Q4C as “a reminder of how craft education can be” and that “the divisions of the real world don’t seem to exist inside the walls of Q4C. Black or white, young or old, stranger or family, everyone is treated with the same level of love and support.”
Q4C is on track to serve more people than ever with 2,200 class reservations expected by year end 2024.
Q4C Community Partners