VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - 15
4-H’ers patch together life skills Huhn has been teaching pioneer art of quilting for a decade. By Lindsay Wood
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group of giggly girls sat around a square of tables, eating Cheez-Its and piecing together scraps of blue, purple, pink and green fabric. The quilts they were making were intricate works of art from a bygone era. Some girls were sewing, others were sashing, and some were calling for help from their instructor and mentor, Barb Huhn. Huhn has been teaching quilting to 4-H kids for the past 10 years. As she worked her way around the tables, she showed her youngest pupil, Hailee Brenton, a third-grader at Colter Elementary School, how to machine quilt. Hailee watched as Huhn lined up the needle and fabric and guided the stitching along in a straight line. Hailee took over cautiously, her foot pressing the pedal that had been propped up on a box so she could reach it. “Barb!” another girl called. The teacher turned to help first-year quilting student Josey Welfl slice a quarter-inch from her polka-dotted triangle of fabric with a rotary blade. Josey let out a yelp, but it was Huhn with the bleeding finger. Huhn gave her hand a quick shake, wiped off the blood and smiled at Josey. Huhn doesn’t chastise herself or her girls over mistakes, whether it’s a pricked finger or bunched-up fabric from a sewing error. Missteps are a part of her teaching method. “I think it’s important for the kids to see that I’m not perfect,” Huhn said. She hopes that in addition to the 4-H values — relating, caring, thinking, managing, health, giving and working — she’s teaching her quilters how to deal with life’s inevitable bungles. The 10 girls in her class are learning valuable skills, including the obvious one of quilting. A century ago, this art form was something no family could do without, but mass production has reduced quilting to a pastime. Huhn sees it as an entry into the arts and a way to relax. “It calms me down,” she said. “It’s one of those projects that I have to really think and concentrate.
BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE
Barb Huhn, right, works with Lily Brazil on her pattern during a 4-H quilting class. Huhn sees quilting as an entry to the arts and a way to relax. As a volunteer 4-H leader, she encourages her young quilters to be independent and to take mistakes in stride.
It’s been a blessing in that way. It helps kids to calm down too.” Fifteen-year-old Alise Prestrud, who is also a dancer, takes her time when she’s organizing the blocks of purple floral fabric of her quilt. “You have to pay attention or else you’ll mess up,” Alise said as she looked up from her work. A few minutes later, Huhn’s alarm sounded. It was time for her second group of students to file in and start the club’s meeting. The second half of Huhn’s class time (4 to 9 p.m. Thursdays) is set aside for some of the more advanced students. The quilting club officers reviewed the minutes, had a lesson in “caring” and sat down to work on patterns of stars, squares and diamonds. Third-year student Lily Brazil pulled out blue and white rhombuses of fabric and arranged them just so
to prepare her pattern for sewing. She had already completed three of the four pattern blocks, and she hung them up together to admire them. “I like watching it come together,” she said. Huhn also likes to watch the patterns come together and see her girls win first-place ribbons at the Teton County Fair. She loves to see them become accomplished quilters like her former student Michaela Miller, who quilted with Huhn from age 9 until her senior year of high school. Through her years of mentoring, Huhn has become a more skilled quilt maker herself. That’s how she began her leadership role in 4-H actually. Her daughter Leslie Huhn, now 20, wanted to start quilting in 2001, so she enrolled in the 4-H See 4-H’ERS on 17
Have a skill? Come lead a 4-H club program Adult volunteer 4-H leaders like Barb Huhn are needed to teach a number of programs currently not being offered. Four-H members have expressed interest in several of the programs lacking leadership, like cooking, robotics and leather craft, University of Wyoming 4-H program associate Amanda Zamudio said. Club programs provide educational and career opportunities for kids ages 8 to 18. Any adult can volunteer for a leadership role but must pass a background check and complete an in-person interview with a 4-H educator. Training materials and support for leaders are made available through the University of Wyoming extension office once a leader is eligible. Adults must be committed to monthly meetings with 4-H’ers. Most volunteers meet every two weeks for an hour or two at a time. Potential leaders with special expertise in a subject are encouraged to
contact the Teton County 4-H Club office to start a club that’s not listed. For information on 4-H Club or on becoming a volunteer, call the UW extension office at 733-3087 or visit TetonWyo.org/ex4h. Leaders are needed for: Child development Computers Crocheting Dairy cattle Dairy goats Electricity Entomology Fabric and fashion/sewing Gardening Geology GIS/GPS Health
Horse judging Horticulture Hunting Interior design Knitting Leather craft Livestock judging Muzzle loading Nature and ecology Pistol Pocket pets Range management Robotics Rope craft Vegetable judging Visual arts Web pages Woodworking Wool judging
Teton Literacy Center thanks and applauds our volunteers for their excellent service and dedication.
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THANK YOU! Owen Jones Patricia Read-Pistono Patty Tucker *Petria Fossel Paul Hansen Polly Warner Randy Reedy Rhonda Watson *Robert Biolchini Rose Caiazzo Rose Novak Sandy Strout Sarah Ernst Sarah Kerr Sarah Stienwand Scooter Gill
For volunteer opportunities please contact, kristin@tetonliteracy.org or call 307-733-9242
Scott Blackwell Sharon Reiman Shawn Means Shellie Morrillion Sosa Stephanie Franco Stephanie LaMeer Stephanie Tzompa Steve Whisenand Sue Hebberger Tammy Christel Tana Hoffman
Teen Power Teresa Griswald Tris Dunn Tyler Harlow Valerie Conger Van Driessen Victor Hernandez Will Grassell *Board Members