Kristen Welch and Ilse Severson

Winners of the 2018 Arts & Humanities Commission Award for Visual Art: The Hummingbird Stitchers Quilt Guild

by Kristen Welch and Ilse Severson

In my dining room, a quilt cross-stitched by hand adorns one wall. My grandmother spent years sewing the roses and greenery onto a crisp, white background. In my office hangs a small, African-themed quilt of rich purples, oranges, greens, reds, and gold that I made from scraps left over from a quilt I made my mother. In a bedroom, a quilt made of pieced stars assembled out of a variety of patriotic fabrics hangs on the wall. None of the blocks line up, but the reds, creamy whites, and blues pop against a bright white background.

My ever-changing, imperfect, eclectic, but much treasured collection is not unique. Quilts are an important part of our lives in America. In fact, quilts are one of the most common types of folk art, and they are still made by busy Americans of all ages and of all backgrounds who love the challenges of piecing them together. Quilts are treasured and passed on in families. They tell our stories; they also tell the stories of those who shaped us. A museum curator once said: “Examining a quilt is like reading a historical document…The quilt tells the story of a time and the story of a life, sometimes multiple lives.”

So, what is it about quilting that inspires so many women (and even some men)? This January, the Hummingbird Stitchers Quilt Guild won the Visual Arts Award from Sierra Vista’s Arts and Humanities Council. Ilse Severson, a Cochise College student, joined me to interview Gail Staples, Wendy Seals, and Janet Wilcox before the awards ceremony began. We discovered that these women had been quilting for decades.

But when we asked about the quilts they had made, they first spoke enthusiastically about the quilts they had given away. Recently, the members had made over two hundred

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quilts they had donated to Casa, a local home for children. At the awards ceremony, they posted a list of organizations they donated to which included Cochise Oncology (for cancer patients), Cochise Foster Care, the Forgach House (for abused women), Hacienda Rehab, Life Care Center (a retirement home), the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) program, and many, many others. In fact, the guild has distributed over 2,300 quilts to nearly forty-five agencies since 2009. They also shared the story of how a woman named Judy, who had passed away, left all of her fabric to her son. He contacted the guild to see if they wanted the fabric and other quilting supplies. They imagined they would get some material, but they were very surprised when truck load after truck load came. The Quilt Guild sold much of the fabric and was able to hand the son a check for $21,000. What they kept was worth about $18,000, so they gave him a tax receipt. The materials are of excellent quality and anytime they are used, they label the new quilt a “Judy quilt” to honor a woman they never knew, but whom they deeply appreciate. These quilts are a continuing legacy to this quilter. As we talked, Gail shared that the Art Association came up with a theme to challenge the quilters each year. One year, the theme was songs, so Wendy made the Delta Dawn quilt, inspired by a song by Tanya Tucker.

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My favorite was the one for pie.

If you study the quilt, you will see Eskimo pie, cow pie, American pie, pumpkin pie, shoo-fly pie, pizza pie, moon pie, banana pie, and blueberry pie.

Gail shared her quilts as well, including one where pictures were printed on fabric to commemorate travel.

In addition to the quilts they brought to share, Janet proudly wore her quilted jacket. It looked so complex that we asked how she had made it. She explained that she pieced each section of the pattern before putting it all together.

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Another quilt featured a bird against a blue and purple background. I touched the bird to see if it was printed on the fabric or if Gail had made it, and I could feel the edges of the fabric. The intricate work of the black bird and the cattails is shown below.

Finally, the quilters described how they also made “community quilts” at the guild. Gail said that their community quilts might start on a design wall, and they might take months to create, so it was nice to see them finished. These quilts are the epitome of collaboration and inspiration. Janet said that the design wall gave them ideas for other quilts when they could see the way the colors flowed and when they could see other patterns. Wendy said that unfinished projects are often integrated into a community quilt in progress. The guild is a place to work together, and Gail and Wendy shared how the quilters sometimes go on a retreat to Ritter Ranch, a place where they can spend a weekend quilting and enjoying each other’s company. Events like these help the quilters to focus their energy. They described how they enjoyed waking up and going straight to work on a quilt—or being able to quilt at almost any hour of the night. They also gather several days a week at the Rothery Educational Services Center for classes taught by people from both near and far although some days are just for open sewing. They also participate in the Quilt Documentation Project, which is affiliated with the Michigan State Museum and a partnership with the Henry Hauser Museum. The February

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2018 newsletter for the guild notes that they’ve documented over five-hundred quilts so far. The Hummingbird Stitchers were honored this year as the recipients of the Visual Arts Award given by the Sierra Vista Arts and Humanities Council.

To sum up, they have nearly two hundred members and were organized in 1978. Each year, they compete at the quilt show held the first weekend of March at Buena High School and ribbons are awarded in thirteen categories. They have a website where prospective participants can view upcoming workshops and activities at www.hummingbirdquiltguild.com. They invite quilters of any skill level to join them as they work together to engage in their creative work.

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