History of Nanoose Quilters

Submitted by Nancy McDonald

Ten years ago, September 2010, 8 keen Nanoose quilters took a leap of faith that there were enough other quilters in Nanoose to form a  group. Marion Clark rented a room at the Fairwinds Center, we advertised locally but mostly through word of mouth, then we waited to see how many people would show up at the first meeting. We needed a commitment of $25 from a dozen people to cover room rental fees for the year.

Marion wrote about this first gathering, “I stood back and watched the group participate in a  Let’s Get Acquainted activity. Everyone was so obviously engaged and the conversations so animated that we could barely get people back in their seats. It was at that moment I knew we were a go”.  What a memorable start and the original 8 ladies breathed a sigh of relief.

By years end there were 26 members. Programs were mostly member lead. These included demos on 60 degree triangle rulers and blocks, quilts for charity, Valentine cards, heart pincushions, quilt as you go, preparing quilts for quilting, quilting outside the square, gizmos and gadgets from Stitch n Stitch and of course the ever popular, “Drag and Brag”.  These things are all still popular today.

So after 10 years and nearly 100 programs, Christmas luncheons and Summer Lemonade Socials, our group continues with the same goals as a decade ago- learning new quilting techniques, sharing knowledge, promoting the joy of quilting and supporting each other’s creativity. While our format has changed for this year, our flexibility and enthusiasm have not wained.

Welcome to Year 11.