Sherry McArthur says she has a lot of UFOs around her Chili house.
So do many of the other members of the Irondequoit Quilt Club.
In quilter-speak, UFOs are “unfinished objects” or, in this case, unfinished quilt projects.
The trouble — or the benefit — of quilting, says Penny Schumacher of Irondequoit, president of the Irondequoit Quilt Club, “is that once you get going, you can’t stop.”
“And a quilt is comforting,” agrees Donna German of Irondequoit, who this year assembled the “opportunity quilt” the club will be raffling off at its show that’s only held every two years.
One of the hallmarks of the club is its charity work, Schumacher said.
“But the friendships (she has made), to me, are the most important part of the club,” German added.
Nick Williams is one of only two male quilters in the club.
While he had been sewing for many years, it was his sister who got him started in quilting about four years ago, said Williams, who taught high school music, including directing all of the musicals, in the Hilton School District for 33 years.
The first quilt he made was a king-size one to go on his bed, Williams said.
“I love the touch of the material and I like the process of figuring how it (a quilt) will look before you start,” said Williams, who estimates he has now made close to 50 quilts of varying sizes.
He joined the Irondequoit Quilt Club just this past February, and says most of his entries in this weekend’s show will be in what is called “rookies’ row.” He adds that he thinks they will “show my learning process.” His entries include “probably the most expensive quilt I’ve made,” using all fabric he purchased online, Williams said, and one made with fabric from the shirts of a friend who passed away.
Williams is also just getting a “long arm” business going. He explains that “long arming,” to a quilter, means actually stitching the various layers of a quilt together.
“He’s so creative,” said Schumacher, who was a school counselor (now retired) in Hilton. She said she generally hand-stitches all of her quilts, but had Williams “machine quilt” one for her earlier this year.
McArthur took up quilting nine years ago, she said, “to get out of the house,” since she worked out of her home on a family heating and air conditioning business.
Sherry McArthur says she has a lot of UFOs around her Chili house.
So do many of the other members of the Irondequoit Quilt Club.
In quilter-speak, UFOs are “unfinished objects” or, in this case, unfinished quilt projects.
The trouble — or the benefit — of quilting, says Penny Schumacher of Irondequoit, president of the Irondequoit Quilt Club, “is that once you get going, you can’t stop.”
“And a quilt is comforting,” agrees Donna German of Irondequoit, who this year assembled the “opportunity quilt” the club will be raffling off at its show that’s only held every two years.
One of the hallmarks of the club is its charity work, Schumacher said.
“But the friendships (she has made), to me, are the most important part of the club,” German added.
Nick Williams is one of only two male quilters in the club.
While he had been sewing for many years, it was his sister who got him started in quilting about four years ago, said Williams, who taught high school music, including directing all of the musicals, in the Hilton School District for 33 years.
The first quilt he made was a king-size one to go on his bed, Williams said.
“I love the touch of the material and I like the process of figuring how it (a quilt) will look before you start,” said Williams, who estimates he has now made close to 50 quilts of varying sizes.
He joined the Irondequoit Quilt Club just this past February, and says most of his entries in this weekend’s show will be in what is called “rookies’ row.” He adds that he thinks they will “show my learning process.” His entries include “probably the most expensive quilt I’ve made,” using all fabric he purchased online, Williams said, and one made with fabric from the shirts of a friend who passed away.
Williams is also just getting a “long arm” business going. He explains that “long arming,” to a quilter, means actually stitching the various layers of a quilt together.
“He’s so creative,” said Schumacher, who was a school counselor (now retired) in Hilton. She said she generally hand-stitches all of her quilts, but had Williams “machine quilt” one for her earlier this year.
McArthur took up quilting nine years ago, she said, “to get out of the house,” since she worked out of her home on a family heating and air conditioning business.
“Then my quilting just took off,” she admitted, noting that she makes quilts — generally baby to twin-size — mostly as gifts for family members including her five grandchildren.
She said the first one she completed that she really liked was a wedding quilt for her daughter.
“I do like taking something and seeing it get finished ... then watching people’s faces light up when they get one (a quilt),” McArthur said.
German, a retired manager from Xerox, has been quilting for 18 years.
“I always loved sewing, but quilting became the thing to do,” German said.
She admits, however, that after her first project, a set of placemats, “I could not believe the work.”
She became hooked on what are called scrap quilts, which generally include 100 or more small bits of fabric.
“Then I started buying fabrics and I haven’t stopped,” German said.
“It (fabrics) are an addiction,” Williams agreed, “but it (making a quilt) is a labor of love.”
Schumacher says her first bed-sized project took her three months to quilt.
“But there’s something about the process of making a quilt that’s really creative ... I take great satisfaction from doing it all — even the binding,” Schumacher said.
