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 25th 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.
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