More than 100 people gathered Sept. 19 as Alpena’s Gone to Pieces Quilt Guild held its Friendship Day Fabric Connects Us Together event, a celebration that combined quilting, local history and recognition for veterans. The event included a luncheon catered by the Joy Group of the First Methodist Church of Alpena, four vendors and a display of more than 160 quilts.
The guild presented Quilts of Valor to four veterans during the gathering: Ian Bush of the Air Force, Liz Smith of the Air Force, Rebecca Witt of the Army, and Joanne Gallagher of the Air Force and Air Force National Guard. Shirley Kowalski and Caroline Ritze presented the quilts one at a time under the direction of guest speaker Diane LaBell.
LaBell, who is married to a veteran and has made approximately 200 Quilts of Valor, explained the program’s origins. It was started by Catherine Roberts after her son was deployed to Iraq. The quilts are intended to offer comfort and healing while expressing appreciation for veterans’ service, sacrifice and dedication.
Quilts connected local history with national milestones
The quilts on display ranged from historic pieces to intricate modern works. One crazy quilt, completed in 1906, had been started in the late 1800s by a woman whose family owned a gas station in Ossineke. The quilt featured extensive embroidery and had been carefully preserved.
Another quilt reflected the Civil War era, when men carried quilts made by friends and family as bedding. A pink tree quilt represented women’s fight for the right to vote and own property in the 1920s. The event account noted that women did not gain the right to vote nationally until Aug. 18, 1920.
Many of the quilts were machine pieced and machine quilted, while others were hand pieced or hand quilted. Attendees moved from one quilt to another and asked Ana’ Ziemba about the pieces. Ziemba coordinated collecting, setting up and returning the quilts.
Ardis Culbert donated a quilt she had pieced and quilted as a prize. A veteran attending the event won it and was described as happy while receiving and hugging the quilt.
Local groups and vendors supported the gathering
Four vendors offered quilting and craft items: Compass Star Quilt Shop of Gaylord, Quilts by Kursten, formerly Sandy’D in Atlanta, Mark Palmer with his wood art, and Wagon Wheel Creative of Harrisville. The event account said shoppers repeatedly returned to the vendors’ tables.
Members of the Alpena Senior Center helped Caroline Ritze and Ardis Culbert make fat-quarter lollipops as thank-you gifts for ticket purchasers. Thread catchers were made by a group led by Cathy Sterns and Cathy Moore. Penny Morrison and Judy Cline designed and made red, white and blue centerpieces that were given as door prizes.
Peggy Elgert and Cathy Sterns organized the luncheon, while Ardis Culbert handled 35 baskets of donated items. The baskets included wine and cheese, finished quilting items, Christmas decorations, knitting supplies, kitchen utensils, sewing materials and quilt kits. All of the baskets were purchased.
The red, white and blue decorations also connected the event to the country’s 250-year celebration. Organizers thanked those who attended, donated items and helped make the event possible. The guild described the gathering as an emotional opportunity to honor veterans and share the way fabric can connect people.
The guild’s continuing work in Alpena
Gone to Pieces has more than 100 members and meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the Methodist Church, 167 S. Ripley Blvd. in Alpena. Kathryn Hoppe is listed as the contact person.
The guild’s community work extends beyond its annual activities. Members make placemats for the Alpena Senior Citizens Center to distribute with holiday meal deliveries, quilts for patients at MediLodge on Long Rapids Road, and quilts for Hospice of Michigan patients and Michigan foster children.
Working with Kiwanis Kwilting and Preemie Pals, guild members also donate quilts to the University of Michigan’s Brandon Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Mott Hospital for Children in Ann Arbor, serving infants from prenatal care through age 5. The guild makes pillowcases for the Salvation Army and supports other groups through locally donated quilts.
The event account said more than 500,000 Quilts of Valor had been awarded by the end of 2023. Gone to Pieces members said they plan to continue quilting until every veteran receives a quilt made with appreciation by fellow Americans.