THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409270144
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STALNAKER, SPECIAL TO THE BEACON
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
The art of quilting and its social offshoot, the quilting bee, are alive, well and making money at Salem United Methodist Church.
Hutchie's Quilting Circle is a major contributor to funds raised at Salem's annual charity bazaar. This year's bazaar is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the church grounds at 2057 Salem Road. Visitors can view the quilting bee's products and possibly come away with one.
The quilters make a quilt for each year's bazaar. That quilt is then presented to the winner of a drawing at the festival. Donations from church members and bazaar patrons in honor of the prize quilt are all contributed to the church coffers. Each bazaar quilt raises more than $1,000 in donations.
Named in honor of the late Ethel Lee Hutchison, one of the original quilters, Hutchie's Quilting Circle has been gathering every week at the church since 1965. Members hand-stitch quilts for customers as far away as California.
The completely self-sustaining group contributes all the money earned for each quilt to the church treasury. Last year the group contributed more than $1,800 and has raised $565 so far in 1994.
The women stitch together for four hours each Wednesday. The quilting bee does not piece together the colorful fabrics that make up the intricate quilt designs. Customers must provide the completed quilt tops, along with all thread, batting and lining fabric. Quilt owners pay a fee based on the size of the quilt. Prices range from $35 for a crib quilt to $125 for a super king-size.
Presided over by ``Aunt Mae'' Lee, the 13 regular members work on as many as three quilts at once, taking from six weeks to three months to complete each one. When finished, each quilt is labeled: ``Hand quilted by the Salem U.M.W., Virginia Beach, Va.''
Since 1982 the quilters have been stitching, free of charge, the quilt for the church's annual bazaar. All materials for the bazaar quilt are donated. The women of the quilting bee decide on a pattern, piece together the quilt top and then stitch the quilt.
This year's bazaar quilt is the ``Mexican Star'' pattern, in Southwestern tones. The quilting bee started the queen-size quilt on June 20 and completed it the first week in September, which the quilters say is a littler faster than normal for a quilt of this size. Salem Church member Norma Jordan donated the material for this year's bazaar quilt.
All this needleworking takes place in a quilting room at the church, donated by quilter and church member Marian Jackson in 1984. Having a dedicated room allows the women a secure storage place for their materials and, more importantly, for the quilt tops in their charge.
``Some of these quilt tops are family heirlooms, decades old,'' said Frances Bradberry, long-time member of the quilting circle and one of Lee's nieces.
Members of this long-running quilting bee are not all members of Salem church; anyone interested in quilting can join.
``If they don't know how to quilt, we'll teach them,'' Lee said.
Current regular quilters are Bradberry, Jackson and Lee as well as Joyce Brightbill, Debbie Graebel, Louise Hayes, Mirium ``Mamie'' Hutchison, Edith Jones, Pat Kennedy, Sarah Lee, Kathy McFall, Sandy Moore and Annie Ruth White.
For more information about quilting or a quilt price list, call the church office at 471-2406. by CNB