Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Barbara Goldhammer

Barbara began quilting in 1995 when she took a class in Pleasanton at Going To Pieces. It was quilting 101 – a hand quilted wall hanging – with half-square triangles. Around the time Kathy broke her foot, Barbara joined San Lorenzo Adult School with Linda Cumming teaching the baby-beginners. Then later Barbara Adams convinced Barbara that she needed to take the beginner’s class with Kathy, so she took baby-beginners twice.

Two sampler quilts were started and Barbara finished one of them and hand quilted it too. She says she loves that quilt.  It has lots of rust colors in it and she needs just a couple of more blocks to finish the second sampler.

Kristy Hanson disseminated Pieced Together Quilters information which inspired she and Barbara Adams to join together.  They both are involved with a Prayer Quilt Ministry through their church, Calvary Lutheran in San Lorenzo.

As a life-long seamstress, Barbara decided quilting would be great because she didn’t have to “fit” the pattern to the body. Well, was that a rude awaking – now she had to match points.

She and her husband will have been married 46 years in September. Last week he suggested he would cook dinner as Barbara was in the sewing room. It isn’t enough to say “I love you.” Showing affection just makes him a keeper. They have one son and he and his wife presented the family with their first grandchild in 2010, a son, named Sean. (The world’s cutest baby). They put Barbara on restriction after she showered Sean with three quilts and two blankets and a knitted blanket – no more quilts for the baby!!!!!

Barbara loves to read – especially mysteries – and some romances, cooking family meals is another fun activity – loves gardening, but her true passion is quilting and spending time with the quilt ladies.

Barbara grew up in South Dakota – Mitchell – home of the World’s Only Corn Palace. She still has family there. The town also boasts a great quilt shop. She came to California by car!!!! Citing more opportunities they loaded the car on New Year’s Day 1969 and moved to California. Harv, Barbara’s husband’s brother lived here.  They settled in Hayward and raised their son there. 

She admits wanting to be a princess, and an only child, but had to settle on being an accountant.  One of her four sisters is a quilter. She is in San Diego so they talk quilting every week.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Nancy McGihon

Nancy retired in June of 2007  and took her first quilt class at Sisters in Stitches – and then  Kathy’s class in Jan 2008. Her cousin is Maryanne Abercrombie who told her about Kathy’s class. So Nancy took Baby Beginners but first she took sewing from Pat Schuchert then added the quilt class.

As a young woman, Nancy did a lot of sewing and made all her own clothes and after getting lots of spare time in retirement, decided to have another creative outlet. Her first quilt is on the trundle bed in her sewing room.  Although she has four grandchildren, they are all boys – plus her two children are boys – so she didn't have girls to sew for.  The grandsons are 20, 16, 11, and 10.

She has been married 34 years to the love of her life. They met when she was camping with her kids in the Rockies – Brian, the husband, was biking around the country and the boys insisted Nancy meet this great guy. They’ve been a couple ever since.

Nancy lived in San Leandro until six then Fremont (Centerville at the time) when it became a city in 1956.

Lorraine Ryan told Nancy about Pieced Together Quilters. Lorraine had been in the sewing class and Kathy’s class with Nancy.

Other hobbies are travel, read, - hates to garden – loves to cook and bake and loves good films.

A little know fact is Nancy doesn’t mind being by herself. She loves a good road trip all  on her own – because her husband doesn’t enjoy traveling.  Nancy just returned from Palm Springs for the film festival, and North Carolina and in the Spring she drove through all the National Parks in Utah.  She loves to travel with “Roads Scholars” formerly Elder Hostel. They also have grandparents groups so Nancy took her 11 year-old grandson to Custer South Dakota where they were pioneers for a week.

Nancy is Certified Arthritis Foundation Exercise Instructor who shows us how to keep fit while sewing.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Sandie Schuitema

I met Sandy when she was in our Tuesday evening class at San Lorenzo Adult School. I got her Christmas Ornament in the ornament exchange one year and everyone still talks about how beautiful that Kimekomi (pieced fabric cording) ball was. During that time, Sandie collected restaurant condiments to send to her daughter in Africa. Andrea, Sandie’s daughter, was a Peace Corps volunteer serving over two years in Niger.

Sandie began quilting in 2006 with Kathy taking the baby beginner class. Lilia Fonseca and Nancy Mason invited Sandie to class. They all took Jazzercise together and Lilia and Nancy brought their show and tell making Sandie so jealous she just had to learn to quilt.

She loves all hand-work, sewing, crafts, even machine work at her husband’s automotive shop. Not much of a gardener – as she kills plants, but loves cooking. Sadly she isn’t as able to play lots of sports anymore, but both of her children are incredibly athletic.  Sandie used to ride motorcycles and will hopefully get back on the hog this summer.

Yesterday was Sandie and her husband, Emo’s, 31 anniversary. They met on the back of a motorcycle. It was a blind date and love at first sight.  Sandie was an Air Force brat who came to the Bay Area on her own from Georgia. She and Emo met in Alameda after her girlfriend rescued Sandie from an apartment painting disaster and took her motorcycle riding.

A little know fact is Sandie is musician. She plays many instruments but loves the octave mandolin – especially Irish folk music. She used to play in a band but only jams now with friends.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Gail Lysett

Gail has two Doberman Pinchers named Sammy and Roxie. Sammy is 12 and Roxie is 5. She has been married 35 years to Andy. They met in college where she was an art major. They dated for three years then eloped to Carmel. They don’t have any children. 

She began quilting in 1980. She and her sister took a class at The Village Quilt Shop in Pleasanton. It was a machine quilting class, but they misunderstood thinking it was a class on how to quilt by machine instead of hand piecing. Needless to say they took a baby beginner’s class as soon as they could get to Kathy’s class. They did know how to machine quilt though. There was no special reason she started quilting. It just sounded like fun.

Gail love to garden – flowers, vegetables - anything with the earth.  

Gail is our resident appliqué expert. She has had two quilts in APQF and won in Denver for best hand workmanship, traditional category. Her quilt, “Hearts and Flowers,” from Kathy’s class, won best-in-show at the California Expo. Such a talented quilter we have here.

Growing up in San Mateo was a fun adventure – then she moved to Castro Valley. 

A little know fact about Gail is she sews on a Featherweight.  She loves old stuff better than new stuff.  

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Phyllis Kucera

Phyllis has been quilting since September of 1997.  She began with Kathy taking Baby Beginners – only once – and graduated to intermediate quilter. When her mother was ill she talked with the Doctor’s receptionist who suggested quilting with Kathy.  Kathy knew absolutely everyone. Phyllis remembers being able to talk to Kathy about EVERYTHING. As with most of the rest of us, Phyllis really misses Kathy.

She also took classes from Linda Cumming and enjoyed her workshops. Phyllis says she has too many sewing machines and took a one-day class for her serger.  She has her mother’s treadle, two featherweights, one Kenmore, one Singer she doesn’t like and she has a Singer case that she may have another machine installed. The treadle machine had plants on top and needs a little refinishing but she loves it just the same.

Joy told Phyllis about Pieced Together Quilters and invited her to join the group. Not in the very beginning but has attended since the group moved to Faith Lutheran Church.

Married for 35 years to Edward and they don’t have any children but are a mixed family both bring four to the marriage. Phyllis has seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She knits, does cross-stitch and crochet always keeping her hands busy.  Gardening as little as possible and she doesn’t like to cook but loved it when her kids were young. She loves it when Edward cooks and praises the meal so he’ll keep it up!

An Oakland native she moved to San Leandro in 1969 – into the home she bought herself.

A little known fact about Phyllis is she loves cats. She is down to two kitties losing her favorite boy in October.  Kyle, the kitty, was pure white with one blue eye and not deaf.  He was only 11 and died of a blood clot.  He wasn’t a lap cat but he was always there talking to Phyllis. She was a Nurse at San Leandro Memorial Hospital, now Kindred for 18 years.  She retired after suffering a back injury. We are thrilled to have Phyllis with us. She is such a sweet lady.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Barbara Baxter

Barbara Baxter started quilting sometime in the 1970s. She was taking classes at San Jose State University and a woman was teaching quilt classes in the evening and Barbara joined. She didn't quilt a lot back then but learned how to piece with cardboard. Later in the 1980s she really got started. After taking Kathy Honeycutt’s class in 2004, she really took off and quilted.  Kathy said with her background in quilting, Barbara didn’t need Baby-Beginners. Now she wishes she had the class .Cindy Ayers and Bunny Robinson and Kennalee Welliver dragged her to class.

Her grandmother quilted and gave Barbara some Dresden Plate blocks so she wanted to learn how to use them in a quilt   Promising a quilt to her sister for her wedding in 1975, she finally got a different wedding quilt in 2000 on the 25^th anniversary. Barbara is glad to have finished the second quilt as it was much nicer than the one she started in the 1970s.

Never married – and she doesn’t have children but has close family and very good friends who get her quilts.  Only one niece but has friends with children whom Barbara has adopted.  She doesn’t have any pets – having worked too long to raise a kitty properly.

Cindy Ayers and Barbara somehow learned about Pieced Together Quilters and started with the group in Castro Valley at the Lutheran Church.

She was born and raised in Irvington, one of the districts in Fremont, and where Barbara still resides. Barbara recently retired after 30 years with Alameda County Library.  She did go back after two weeks off to finish a project for her boss but if it had been any longer than two weeks, it would have been too late. Barbara really enjoys retirement!

Barbara loves to hand-quilt but it is faster when Diana Johnson does it. Reading is her other passion – librarian duh- and especially enjoys mysteries, Sci-Fi and narrative non-fiction.

A little know fact is she loves the TV show Fringe and she and Ann Seals recap the show every Thursday evening. 

I met Barbara during one of the summer workshops at San Lorenzo Adult School and was instantly drawn to her- possibly because her name is Barbara.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Dianna Corralejo

As with her sister Alice Vesterfelt, Dianna was born in Oakland and now lives in San Leandro. 

Dianna and her ex- spouse, with whom she was married for 22 years and divorced 22  years,  remained friends.   After being diagnosed with cancer, Martin moved in with Dianna and she cared for him for three years. After he passed away in June 2008, she knew it was time to quilt.  She has two daughters, one married with two sons, eight and eleven in Huntington Beach, and the other daughter not married lives in Walnut Creek.

So she began quilting January 2009, shortly before Kathy became ill.  Dianna was only with Kathy for three weeks.  Fortunately, she and Alice became friends with the Thursday afternoon ladies who quickly joined Joy in her home for quilting bees.

Lorraine Ryan took the girls under her wing and helped them finish their sampler quilts in Pat's Monday night class. Thanks to Lorraine, Dianna was able to finish her quilt, because it was so wonky.  Lorraine suggested adding borders to bring the quilt into size.

With her new kitchen remodel, going on since September, Dianna hasn’t been able to sew. (The familhy room is her sewing room so the machine is packed away for the duration).

She crochets, meets monthly with the Red Hat Ladies lunching and sometimes taking trips to Old Sacramento and other points of interest.  She describes her group as not that outrageous, but I have seen those ladies out and about and they are happier than our quilting group – with loud outbursts of laughter. Maybe it’s the wine with lunch.

She worked most of her life – with the school district when her children were young – but describes her life as normal.  However, she always knew she wanted to make a quilt but was surprised at how intricate and how much time it takes to make a quilt.  She had the best accomplishment in finishing her sampler quilt. She is also surprised how much money it takes to quilt. Dianna loves making bags. Everyone she loves gets a bag. 

Now Dianna is finishing the Happy Family Mystery Quilt.  She plans on making a baseball quilt for the 11 year-old grandson. Suzie, Dianna’s daughter who lives in the Bay Area, loves to make bags with her mom and they plan to sell them this Christmas.

It was so great getting to know more about Dianna. I wish my sister and I could quilt together.

Colonial Knot & Other Stitches

Here are a couple of websites with videos for embroidery stitches.  Many of you will remember the colonial knot....here's a video and also a link to many other stitches with video directions:


http://www.needlenthread.com/2007/03/embroidery-stitch-video-tutorial-2.html

Here's another one with a great video for the colonial knot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie-g-H2wvx4

Happy Stitching!!!

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Diana Johnson

Diana can’t even remember how long she’s been quilting – maybe  starting in 1989. Anna Lee, Diana’s next door neighbor, told her about San Lorenzo Adult School and Diana joined the Thursday evening group. However, she bought Kathy Honeycutt’s crafts five years before attending quilt class. Ken Honeycutt was the delivery person for the restaurant where Diana worked. Talk about a long history!!!!

Her strong desire to quilt a double wedding ring inspired her to learn to quilt and she is still anxiously awaiting the time when she has time to make that quilt.  Diana bought a long-arm quilting machine in 2001 and began quilting for MONEY!!!  She has won Blue Ribbons, had quilts in too many quilt shows to count and been published in American Patchwork, McCall’s Quick Quilts, Quilts And More and about three, maybe four, quilt books. We have a very talented member of our little group here. I personally have had all my quilts, except one, quilted by Diana. That one quilt was enough…she will quilt every future quilt for me.

Diana has been married for 33 years to a sweet guy she met at the restaurant, Emil Villa’s. The have one son who is a Sherriff’s Deputy for Alameda County. And they have three grandchildren, two boys and one little girl!!!!  She has a cute – cute – cute – biscuit driven little Chawinnie (Chihuahua + Dachshound) named Sirius. When you she that little girl, make sure  you bring her a treat and she’ll follow you all over Diana’s studio.

Diana learned about Pieced Together Quilters from Alice Vesterfelt and Diana Corralejo. When they picked up their quilts from Diana they raved about the new group – encouraging Diana to rush to join up.

Cooking, reading when she gets a chance, and quilting are Diana’s hobbies. She collects cook books and plans holiday dinners around the adventures in the books she just read.

Born in Illinois, she has lived in the Bay Area since she was ten. Most of her family are close by but one sister lives in Ohio. She is close with the sisters and wishes they would quilt with her.

A little know fact is Diana would love to live in Pismo Beach – with a studio overlooking the beach. This is her lotto dream!!! ( Editor’s note: The rest of us would save the world with the winning – Diana would roam the beach.) She says she is blessed to get to earn money doing things she loves. What a great life!

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Alice Vesterfelt

Alice is a new quilter only starting about 18 months ago. She only met Kathy Honeycutt three times.  Alice and her sister, Diana Corralejo, were sort of on their own in class with Linda Cumming. While in Baby Beginners, she heard from Joy that they were starting a quilt group in Joy’s home. So Alice has been with Pieced Together Quilters since the beginning. She and her sister have lived two doors apart for 47 years. They are 10 years apart in age but seem much closer.

Having accomplished dressmaking and other sewing projects, she and her sister thought quilting would be a fun challenge. So quilting in now her new passion.  Gardening, reading (novels, romance books, light mysteries known as Cozy Mysteries, dog and horse stories, and American classics)  are her favorites.

She describes her heritage as Irish and English and her grandfather was George Edward Shaw.  Born in Oakland, both parents native Californians, the girls (Alice and her sister) are generations of California culture.  Married 60 years to the SAME MAN! They met at mutual friend’s wedding , she for the bride, Dale knew the groom.  They have three daughters and four grandchildren – two boys and two girls and one great-granddaughter.  She will be 16 months in a couple of days and Alice says Grace Marie is the sweetest baby. Her mom doesn’t know how great the sweetie-pie is. But, she has another baby on the way – due in September. Then Grace Marie’s mom will have a comparison.

A little know fact is Alice worked for the San Leandro School District for almost 30  years as a Truant Officer. (Dog catcher for kids). She also verified residences making sure students were eligible to be taught in San Leandro. Retired now for 15 years, her time is taken up by a husband, two dogs, a house, a yard and all the other things that are never done.

Alice brought me the most beautiful branch of orchids today – picked from her own garden. So sweet.