Quilting ties women together
By Katherine Houstoun CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When it comes to Chesterfield quilters, it's easy to sum them up with a few generalities: they are mostly women, they have a passion for their craft, and they are an extremely generous bunch. Bound together by a common interest, these passionate women often discover, through quilting groups, an opportunity for fellowship and support and an outlet for charitable giving.

"I joined the guild to learn how to quilt and got a whole lot more," said Ann Williamson, president of the James River Heritage chapter of the Richmond Quilters' Guild. "We have so much fun together. It's the camaraderie. It's the joy of being together and learning and sharing what you know with somebody who's just starting out."

The Richmond Quilters' Guild, which was founded in 1978 to preserve quilting and provide education on traditional and contemporary quilting techniques, boasts seven chapters, two of which are based in Chesterfield County: James River Heritage, which meets monthly at Bon Air Christian Church, and Hospitality, which hosts its monthly meetings at Christ the King Lutheran Church.

Kevin Calhoun, 9, is the youngest member of the Richmond Quilt Guild's Hospitality chapter.

Hospitality, the Guild's largest chapter, claims 94 members, including the organization's youngest member, Kevin Calhoun, age 9, who just finished his first quilt.

"I used to be Mom's little tagalong guest," said Kevin, who joined the guild officially last spring. "Now Mom's my tagalong guest."

Mom is Katia Calhoun, 44, who started bringing Kevin to meetings after she began homeschooling him.

"I didn't want to quit going to quilt guild meetings so I started bringing him," she explained. "I figured sewing was something that he needed to be able to do; it's important that he have a well-rounded education."

Calhoun, a 1992 Virginia Commonwealth University graduate in craft and material studies, differs from many guild members in that she specializes in contemporary art quilts of original design.

"The work I do is very untraditional, so I was kind of concerned that I would feel completely out of place here," she said. "But they were very welcoming. You're in a group of people who enjoy and love the same thing that you do, even though everyone has different styles. You can talk about something and they'll understand. It's great to have a support group."

Clarice Romisher and other quilters put the final touches on one of their latest creations.

Many Chesterfield quilters also find support in independent quilting groups like Appliqué and Chocolate, the Scrappers and Ties that Bind, groups in which women get down to the actual business of quilting.

Clarice Romisher, 62, started Ties that Bind in 1992 for the express purpose of making quilts "for the needy and for those in need of comforting."

"There was a notice in the church bulletin requesting blankets to go to Richmond Friends of the Homeless," recalled Romisher. "I said, 'Well, that's something I can do,' because I've been sewing since I was three. I asked some of the ladies, and there was a lot of interest. So we just started from there."

The group, which has evolved from five to around 30 members, has given away 1,007 quilts to citizens in need, including victims of natural disasters, battered women and families sponsored by Romisher's church, Lutheran Church of our Saviour.

Billie Kelley is the Hospitality chapter's "most senior" member.

"It's creating something out of scraps and knowing that it's going to keep someone warm," said Romisher, who is also a member of the Providence Quilt Buddies, an educational quilting group founded in 1975. "That's really what it's all about."

In fact, charity often seems to go hand-inhand with quilting. Both Chesterfield chapters of the Richmond Quilters' Guild have given away hundreds of quilts to new parents, veterans, hospital patients and others in need.

"Through the years, we have made quilts for all different kinds of organizations," said Williamson, who has been a member of James River Heritage since 1990. "My particular chapter has made a number of quilts for the pediatric oncology unit down at MCV. We sent quilts to Katrina victims, women and children's shelters, Noah's Ark pediatric hospice. You name it, at one or time or another, we have sent quilts there."

Sometimes, of course, the quilts end up a bit closer to home, in the hands of neighbors, friends and family members.

"I have several grandchildren, and they all receive a quilt when they are born, when they graduate from high school and when they get married," said Hospitality's most senior member Billie Kelley, 86, with a chuckle, "whether they want them or not."

Kelley, who has been a member of Hospitality for 20 years, said she enjoys the sense of accomplishment associated with quilting, regardless of where the creations ultimately end up.

"After all, when you get older and you don't feel like hitting balls or shopping…it does pass the time in a way that you feel is rewarding," she said. "With the guild, I've just gotten inspired by friendships and workshops and learning new things. It's something you don't want to let go of."