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Quilting is a popular activity for Boomers in the Illinois Valley By Shannon Serpette
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haron Read is a relative newcomer to quilting. Unlike some women she knows who have been quilting for decades, she only began five or six years ago. “I’ve been sewing for a lot longer than I’ve been quilting,” Read said, adding that she started sewing 45 years ago. “I’ve crafted my whole life. That’s what got me into sewing.” She waited decades before making the jump to quilting, though, because it was a bit intimidating. “I never thought I could do it,” she said. “There is a lot more cutting and measurements, a lot of math.” To her, quilting was about perfectionism, and she wasn’t sure she could live up to that. Still, the appeal of quilting was too much to resist. “I really wanted to learn how to make quilts,” she said.
She found a class in Princeton and started with a baby blanket. That was enough to get her hooked, and she joined the Marshall-Putnam Quilters Guild soon after. The group, which meets once a month, was a good fit for Read, who lives in rural Henry. It put her in touch with people who knew the answer to any question she had. “I thought, I don’t have enough knowledge on this,” she said. “I feel like I can learn more when I actually see it done.” Quilters, Read said, are wonderful about wanting to help people who are new to the hobby. Finding someone you can turn to when you need advice can be invaluable. “It’s nice to have a mentor,” she said. “Your mentor will have your back.” She met her mentor, Ida Boyle of McNabb, through the
8 May 2021 | Illinois Valley Boomers | A NewsTribune Publication
quilters guild she joined. “We get together a lot,” she said. Quilting can be enjoyed on a solo basis or with a friend, and it can also provide a way to fit some community service in as well. Many quilting guilds have community service projects for their members to work on. While there is a seemingly never-ending list of wished-for items many quilters would like to purchase someday, one item a new quilter absolutely must have is a good machine that can sew straight and zigzag stitches, Read said. Over time, Read said, you’ll need more space for all your items, such as your quilter’s stash. A quilter’s stash is a stockpile of fabrics that quilters save for a future project. They can be fabrics bought See QUILT on page 10
