Every Tuesday morning the cars slowly roll up to the Paskenta Community Hall, someone props open the dining hall door and before long the empty space is filled with colorful fabric and lively conversation. “What are you working on today?” someone invariably asks.
The women unpack their totes and sewing machines and work on projects for a while before setting up a table for lunch. Nancy Hiller pulls out a spinach wrap from the Flournoy Store and Deli and says, “I like to support Judi. Here, she threw in some chocolates for us.”
When I ask the six women in attendance that day how the quilting group first started, the answers are as varied as the quilts lining the tables around us — “I think I started coming here in the seventies,” one says. “I don’t think it started that early,” another says. “Didn’t you first meet in the other hall? The one that burned down?”
The Paskenta quilters have reason to be proud of the beautiful quilts they pour their time, talents and love into. Photo credit Kate Hiller.
Quilters welcome mentor and new sewers
Only the locals memorialized in pictures and nameplates on the walls would know the year the quilting group started, but the ladies all agree that it was the late Betty Bureau who first stitched the group together. Both Mary Garrett and Nancy shared that they met Betty at the Paskenta Flournoy Bible Church and she invited them to join the quilting group.
Linda Solberg chimes in, “And then years later I met Nancy at church and she invited me. Nancy said they were going to make a ‘quilt in a day’ but I told her I didn’t even know how to sew. My Jewish ancestors were all tailors and seamstresses but I couldn’t even sew on a button,” Linda laughs. “But Nancy said, ‘come anyway.’ So I did. That ‘quilt in a day’ didn’t quite happen but, despite my hesitation and nerves, Anna Dearing and Mary Burt didn’t give up on me. They taught me how to hand quilt and every other stitch one of them said, ‘now tear it out.’” Linda gets tearful and adds, “They are both gone now, but I am so thankful they didn’t give up on me or my Irish Chain quilt—I won second place with that in the fair.”
No one knows how many quilts they have made. “I don’t even quilt.” Mic Whitlock says. “But I get all the gossip here.” Mic started coming after she retired and she mostly works on embroidery. “My mother taught me.” The other quilters have come to appreciate Mic’s critiquing eye. Nancy adds, “Mic embroidered on all the Sun Bonnet Sue squares that we used in a quilt one year.”
Paskenta quilters sew gifts with love and generosity
Each year the quilters make two quilts to donate for the hall’s annual dinners — the Fall Dinner and the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner, which raise money to support and maintain the hall “We like to do our part since the hall allows us to meet here,” Linda says.
“We also make a lot of baby quilts and quilts for people in our community,” Mary Carter adds. Mary Carter first learned to sew in 4H. “I started coming to quilting when I was making a quilt for my grandson and needed help on the corners.” Nancy chimes in, “Mary is a very good seamstress. How many bridesmaids’ dresses have you made?”
Mary starts counting off bridesmaids’ dresses but then gets distracted by counting how many grandchildren she has made quilts for. She sums up by saying, “Quilting gives me a place to go to talk with friends.”
Anne Cheney started coming five years ago when Nancy said to “just come”— even though Anne doesn’t quilt. Anne comes at lunchtime to visit. “If I don’t come, I don’t know what is going on.” Nancy brags for her, “Anne is a very talented weaver and makes beautiful scarves.” Anne admits, “It all started with making a potholder. Then my husband and I bought a secondhand loom and he helps me with my projects.”
Gratitude for spouses’ support and encouragement suffuse quilters’ memories
Four women are now widows but they think fondly of how their husbands contributed to their hobby. “Mike helped make the templates for my patterns and chose colors for my quilts. He would encourage me when I would about go crazy making my own patterns,” Mary Garrett says with a laugh. “I kept a clean garbage can near me at home and when I was frustrated, I would just throw the fabric in the trash. Later I would walk by, dig it out and try again. I see all the imperfections in my work but whoever gets the quilts never sees them.”
“Brad also made templates and helped with my color choices,” Nancy says. “He would also help set up my quilting frame.” Nancy first learned to sew from the nuns when she lived at an orphanage in Italy. She learned very tiny stitches and enjoyed doing it. Her mom would later have her sew all the hems for her family. “One time I made a skirt for my Barbie doll with about a million tiny stitches so maybe that is why I enjoy hand quilting so much.” Nancy recently won first place at the fair for her Dresden Plate quilt.
Addie Knight and Alex Turri enjoyed making their projects with the quilters’ help.
Quilters count friendships, sharing, experiences
The ladies love to invite young people to quilt and have taught sewing to the local 4H group. One local girl, Addie Knight, joined the Paskenta Quilters to put together a quilt for a neighbor with his late wife’s fabric. “He was so pleased,” Mic recalled.
Although very prolific in their craft, the Paskenta Quilters don’t take stock in counting years or quilts. What they do remember is the names of those who received their gifts and all the encouragement they have received from each other — leaning over quilt frames, sewing machines and looms — sharing life.
“We only pay $5 each per month for any expenses and our rules are to be nice to each other and don’t talk politics,” Linda says. “We would love for others to join us.” The quilters meet every Tuesday at the Paskenta Hall at 10:30am. Bring your lunch and call Mary if you have any questions. (530) 833-5406.
Posted in: This is Tehama
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Thank you Kate for this beautiful put together article about the quilters. These ladies are amazing and very talented. Each brings something special to the group and us on the Paskenta Hall Board thank them for their generous donation of the quilts we auction off at our yearly dinners. Nice job ladies.
Chelle Whitlock Senter
Paskenta Hall President
Community Member for many generations