COmmunity quilt stories

Brick by Brick

Members of the Student Council from The Opportunities for Learning H.S. pieced this modern quilt. As this was their first encounter with a sewquilt. sewing machine, achieving a 1/4” straight-stitched seam ing took a few rounds with practice fabric strips. Once they learned the basics, they jumped right in. 

The seam ripper became a close companion. The students soon learned to focus on their seams to avoid the grim seam ripper. The thought of ripping out more seams is the best motivation to piece with precision. Pressing with precision was next on the agenda. 

Another set of students quilted this piece, using a Nolting Fun Quilter. Cindy Bernier drove 2 hours, hauling the long arm and frame, to work with the students.

It Takes a Village

Daisy &Tania, staff members of Opportunities for Learning H. S. pieced this beauty. Cindy Bernier of Vista, CA made the two hour drive to Northridge to set up her Nolting long-arm machine to allow the students the unique opportunity of quilting on a stand up machine. 

Donna, one of instructors, led the students in practice doodling on a whiteboard. Once they encountered manuevering the long-arm, they began quilting their designs with caution. Soon after, their confidence built and they were swirling and looping like pros. 

They supported and encouraged each other as they learned these new skills. It was a special day, 

Dream Big & Find A Reason To Smile

Forty-eight people at the 2019 Maker’s Market in Chatsworth, CA were excited to leave their mark by block-printing a message that would impact someone else’s life. Next, students from the Opportunities for Learning H.S. in Northridge, CA pieced the blocks to create a dynamic quilt top. 

Once Quilting for Community members quilted and bound the quilt, it was sent as a message of comfort and hope to a community member that had fallen ill. She was a young, vibrant pillar of the community and well-respected by all who knew her.

We shared the quilt with her to provide comfort and hope as she recovered.

On Our Block 

Quilting for Community hosted our first block-printing station at the Reseda Blvd. Summer Series in August 2018. We provided fabrics and a variety of block printing options. We had no idea it would be such a hit! Kids, teenagers and adults experienced the joy of creating on fabric. 

The Quilting for Community team created a quilt from the blocks to memorialize their first community-based project in Northridge, CA.

Cat-leidoscope

Ms. Lesley & Lizz designed this project for the highschool students of Opportunities for Learning in Northridge, CA. Debating colors, form, texture, etc. is an exciting sport for these two.

The fabric in this quilt was donated by Annie’s Quilting Den in Escondido, CA. Using scraps, fabric donations and remnants to design quilts is a pleasure for Quilting for Community’s volunteers. Working with what we have on hand, sharpens our problem-solving skills and leads to creative solutions that may have otherwise been missed. AND, it keeps our fabric safe in quilts and out of landfills!! After piecing the top, students also quilted this piece. Check out their quilting motif!