Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Who’s Who in Pieced Together Quilters - Betty Collier

In 1990 Betty began quilting at San Lorenzo Adult School, first with Linda then with Kathy.  Having recently retired from teaching, she wanted to do some handi-crafts. A friend mentioned the classes at San Lorenzo and Betty had previously sewed so the quilt class sounded fun.  She has seen friends quilts and thought “I can do that” Her mother made quilts, however she tied all those quilts.

Joan Penrose told Betty about Pieced Together Quilters. Joan was scouting meeting places and Betty took her to her church – First Presbyterian Church in Castro Valley.  Although Betty still takes classes at San Lorenazo Adult School – but finds Pieced Together Quilters more inspirational and enjoyable.  Our group of ladies is so sweet and welcoming – she just has to smile when she walks in.

Betty plays golf and bowls in a church league. She golfs at  Monarch Bay Golf Course. That’s where she met Kristy Hanson.

Married for 43 years to her college sweetheart, they both went to San Jose State College. She has one daughter and three grandchildren, one granddaughter and two grandsons. Betty taught second grade for 33 years. She was born in New York and moved to California when she was 15, attending Tamalpias High School in Mill Valley but she lived in Fairfax, California.

A little known fact:  She taught for the military schools in Germany one year and remembers that as her favorite year teaching. She got to hike the Alps in Switzerland and learned to ski near Munich Germany.  

Who’’s Who in Pieced Together Quilting: Lavina Miller

Lavina always brings her sewing machine to class. Joy laughed and said she is going to get some sewing done or know the reason why. I’ve seen Lavina in action for years……she made aprons for everyone in the world a couple of years ago. I wonder if she was the super achiever in Kathy’s Thursday night class.

She took a class at the San Leandro library in 1977 when she was pregnant with her son. Lavina made the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat quilt and didn’t quilt again until she joined San Lorenzo Adult School in 1998. (Maybe 1997). She started quilting with her mom after Lavina’s step-father and father passed away –– taking Kathy’’s baby beginner class together.

Ann Seals told Lavina about Pieced Together Quilters. Ann joined last quarter and encouraged Lavina to come because we have so much fun. Even more fun now that Lavina is with us.

There are lots of quilt tops that need to be quilted but Lavina doesn’t know how many she’s made. Needles-to-say it is a bunch.

Her only hobbies are playing with her grandchildren. She has three grandchildren and one on the way. There is boy, girl, boy and there will be an ultrasound for number four November 22, she hopes the baby will cooperate and we can quilt in a specific color.

Lavina grew up in San Leandro but now lives all the way away in Hayward! She did live in Union City for awhile, far away traveler that she is.

She adores all the quilt friends and they come a close second to how much she loves her sisters. There is only one brother who is 16 years younger than she and then another little sister. Lavina is the middle daughter from the first family. There are 20 years between her oldest sister and her youngest.

 

There are no little know facts about Lavina, she tells everyone her business. Then she turns back to her Janome and sets to finishing her project!  

Who's Who in Pieced Together Quilters - Pam Ausmus

Pam Ausmus

Pam started quilting – maybe in 2002 with Kathy in the Thursday afternoon class. Joy remembers that Pam was the first person to introduce herself and welcome Joy to the group.   Pam discovered the San Lorenzo Adult School catalog and thought it would be a great place to meet people. 

After losing Kathy – several ladies met a Panera Bread restaurant (Joan, Katie, and Lorraine Pam, Lilia, and Joy) to encourage each other in quilting. Later they met at Joy’s where they decided to find a larger space to accommodate everyone who wanted to come and not disrupt Joy’s family. (Joy was still homescooling her son). So, Pam was one of the ORIGINAL Pieced Together Quilters.

Her other hobbies are “rock making.”  She is wearing a beautiful blue “fascinated” stone around  her neck. She made Katie a “cab” which is a large rock and she sizes it, polishes it and wraps it to wear as jewelry. She goes to Castro Valley Gem and Mineral Society to learn this craft. The cost is $35 per YEAR! All teachers are volunteers and supplies were donated. Sounds like a fun place to hang out.

A little known fact.  Her husband bought her a new Toyota Avalon without personality. She and her husband painted the wheels black and put pin striping on car. She’d like big wheels, chrome wheels and low profile tires. Just what every hip-hop artist wants!!! But grandma can afford it! However, hubby disapproves.

She is a Christian from Fair Haven Bible Chapel and would love for us to attend church with her. Her husband in an elder, who sometimes preaches and they have been members for 32 years.  You can see Pam assisting Joy with the library and paperwork needs for the group.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together Quilters – Joan Penrose

Joan Penrose

Joan has been a quilter for seven years. She loves to sew and admires quilts, but never imagined herself quilting.  A lady in the San Lorenzo Adult School sewing class invited Joan to the quilting class and she had so much fun here she is.  Joan learned machine quilting from some classes in quilt stores. Large quilts she sends out but loves to quilt small projects. Quilting gets her creative juices flowing.

She took sewing classes in High School because her mother recommended it saying she would learn so much more taking a class. She sewed her own clothes before college.

Joan grew up in Kansas but came out to California to teach. She went to College in Nebraska at a teacher’s college. She did want to go into physical therapy but decided to teach so she could use her music skills. She was invited to come to California to teach and be an organist at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.  That’s where she met her husband. The happy couple celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary in August and traveled to New City for the event. Her only son moved to Texas with his wife and two grandsons, breaking Joan’s Heart. The boys are three and six years old.

Some of her other hobbies are gardening, children’s choir at church, she sings and plays bells and keyboard, reading – fiction and mysteries but recently read      about breast cancer.  She loves to bowl – maybe a fanatic. When she was a kid they threw softballs at milk bottles.

She is a breast cancer survivor – 20 years ago she had a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

Her dad was very strict – but had a fun side too. When she was getting ready to move to California, she and her mother were raising the hems on her skirts. (It was the fashion back then after all). Here dad said; “Make sure you raise them high enough – you have to find a husband!”

A little known fact – she says she is such a blabbermouth that she can’t think of an answer except she was very shy as a child. Going away to college helped her find her outgoing side and more self assured. In High School, her mother suggested taking a speech class – and that really helped because she had to get up in front of the class once a week. They even had to go out into the community and speak to groups.

As one of the original Pieced Together Quilters, we have to thank her for finding the great location for our day class.

Who’s Who In Quilting - Ernestine Rosabelle Tril

Ernestine Rosabelle Tril

Ernie started quilting because she needed an outlet for her grief after her mother passed away in 1999. Her sister, Pat Candelarie, encouraged her to join Kathy’s class and they both began baby beginners in 2000.  Her mother had lived with her and Ernie was her mother’s primary care giver. Ernie was lost and needed something to help divert her attention. She was working 17 hours a day just to keep from coming home – without mom.

In 2004 her sister passed away – joining their mother in heaven.  Ernie was devastated.  She started a new job the day her mom passed away. Quilting has been her salvation. Kathy took Ernie under her wing, realizing Ernie needed a loving mentor.

Pat became more interested in knitting and crocheting so she gave Erine her Viking sewing machine replacing Ernie’s old Kenmore.

Ernie is married with two children. Her daughter is the oldest and her son joined the US Air Force after grandmother passed away. She has been married 36 years. Ernie was visiting friends in Mexico and met her husband there.  They met in March and married in April.  Ernie was simply swept off her feet.

A little know fact: Ernie grew up in Taos New Mexico and Oakland California. Her mother had asthma so the family moved between the two cities. Ernie made friends in both places – she used her first name in Oakland and her middle name in Taos.

She has a great color sense – matching fabrics for all her friends. Every time they go to a quilt store, all her friends bring their fabric to Ernie and make her choose coordinates.

She has NO Other Hobbies!!! She does cook and loves her kids, but quilting is her passion. Her motto is Practice Makes Perfect as she can’t sew worth a darn. Her mother’s old room is now her sewing room. She has cabinets all around the room with a huge stereo and I-Pod.

Ernie joined Pieced Together Quilters after our Tuesday night class dissolved.  She felt the huge loss of not just Kathy but all of the quilting goddesses. Ernie still talks to Kathy.  She feels Kathy is watching over us all and smiling, giving encouragement.  Me too Ernie.

(Editor’s note: I know Ernie as a super quilter. She makes EVERY project.) 

Who's Who in Pieced Together Quilters - Paula Choy

Paula Choy

Paula began quilting – she tied baby quilts for 40 years. Started in San Lorenzo Adult School in 1995  hearing from a friend about the class. Kathy was the teacher and Paula was teaching full-time then so only completed small projects . She had children at home so sewing was a great outlet.

Paula said she always loved to sew;  “[It’s a] Total hobby! I just always quilted.”  Some of her other hobbies are bicycling and she’s a reader - mostly fiction.

A little known fact: she grew up on Venice Beach!  Paula came to the Bay Area to go to college and met her husband and stayed!  She’s been married 37 years to the love of her life. They have three daughters and two grandsons. The little boys are one and four years old. 

Like most of us, Paula joined Pieced Together Quilters after Kathy passed away.  Kristy Hanson e-mailed us letting us know about the new group started by Joy Vail.  “This is an important commitment” Paul said,  Our community of quilters is her salvation. As Paula taught Kathy’s classes after she was diagnosed with kidney cancer, Palua found the ladies had journeyed through life with each other. They shared joys, their sorrows their daily lives and were validated by the friends they made in Kathy’s classes. Paula shared; “They are a dying breed. We are complete with each other.”