*This ran originally in the Williston Whistle

By Cybèle Elaine Werts  
CybeleW@aol.com

Virginia Sarter, a past guild president and Williston resident, is also a charter member. A retired schoolteacher, she says she disliked sewing until about 1975 when she had a back operation, and learned quilting as a sort of therapy. Even though she didn’t like it all that much at first, it’s a hobby that grew on her. When her first granddaughter was born in 1968, Sarter sewed her first baby quilt which was 40” by 50” and somewhere along the way she fell in love with quilting. “I love the Quilter’s guild because I learn something every time!” adds Sarter. “It’s always a pleasure to meet new friends, and I can get advice on problems I might be having with a particular quilt.” Today she has three to four going at any one time. “I must be working eight hours a day quilting.” Sarter adds. “It’s a fantastic hobby!”

Even though many of her quilts go on to keep other Vermonters warm during our cold winters, Sarter keeps a quilting photo album to remind herself where all that work time went to. She sews in her quilting room downstairs with a new Berneia machine which she calls “the Cadillac of sewing machines!”, but still puts time aside to keep her other three sewing machines from getting lonely. Sarter recommends that people who are new to quilting take a class to get started. She knows what she’s talking about since she taught classes herself for six years after she retired in 1980. “I still feel like a teacher,” she adds. “Because my students still call me with questions and come by to visit.”

Another quilt lover around the Williston area is Shirley Miles, who has been quilting now for nearly twenty years. She does both machine and hand quilting, and particularly likes sampler quilts which includes blocks of all different fabrics. “Although I have sewed all my life,” says Miles, “it took a fair bit of practice to get the hang of quilting. But it was all fun!” Miles is 69 years old and still works part-time at the school cafeteria, and has been there for eleven years. Despite her busy schedule she always makes time for the Quilter’s Guild meetings. “I like the speakers and the show and tell,” she adds. “I am also active in working on the quilt shows which are very exciting.”

The Guild meets the first Tuesday of the month for about two hours. Each meeting features a different speaker as well as samples, challenge projects, baby quilts, and special quilts being donated to the homeless. One recent speaker was from Maine and spoke about antique quilts. The guild started with just ten people and now includes about 200 members, making it the largest guild in the state. Their goal is to promote the use of quilting and keep the history of quilting alive. The Vermont Guild is part of the larger Green Mountain Guild which is a state organization including about twenty smaller guilds, and meets twice a year in the spring and fall.

Upcoming shows include the Vermont Quilt Festival which occurs every July in Northfield and features the top quilts across the country, as well as another big show Williston Armory at the end of September. Questions about the Quilter’s Guild can be directed to Virginia Sarter at 878-8369.