Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Cheryl Hadley

Direct quote: “Getting old isn't for sissies!”

She has been quilting since 1978 – taking her first class with Linda Cumming. She pieced everything by hand and made templets by hand and started a king sized quilt, which she is still hand quilting.  They didn’t even have evening classes back then.  She and her daughter, Roni,  joined Kathy’s Baby Beginner class in 1999.  The mom and daughter quilted together until 2003. Roni attempted to adopt two siblings and had to stay home and care for the kiddies.  Cheryl knew Diana Johnson’s sister who suggested they join the Thursday evening class. That’s when Maggie joined the quilt group. 

Isn't it just wonderful to have a hobby with your sister! She and Maggie are as cute as kittens. Maggie makes Cheryl laugh to the point of almost fainting. Too adorable. 

Married 40 years this October to the most wonderful man in the world (now that’s questionable).  Her first husband passed away from an auto accident. She was a widow at 21. The hardest part is her daughter lost her father so early.  Then she had a son, Jimmy. She has three grandchildren. Roni has a 17 year-old boy, Ricky and a 5 year-old girl, Gracie. Jimmy has an 8 year-old little boy named Sammy.

Her other hobbies are hand appliqué. She works for Joanna Figeora of Fig Tree Quilts. Cheryl is the quilt artist’s piecer. She gets to play with all kinds of fabric and doesn’t have to spend money.  Imagine getting paid to quilt!!! She considers her friends and sister her other hobbies.  She loves playing X-Box 360 with her grandchildren.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts but grew up in Alameda because her mom didn’t like the snow and Cheryl was always sick an they thought it was a better climate for Cheryl’s health.

A little known fact is Cheryl smoked for 42 years and quit 7 years ago.  She was a two-pack a day smoker and traded that habit for See’s Candy.  She says it wasn’t hard to quit because she got sick after a trip to Hawaii. She found herself lying on the couch after three days and never picked up another cigarette.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together Joann Kersten

She quilted for her kids, without knowing how. Her aunt left her a “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” quilt and made her a Sunbonnet Sue baby quilt. She was in 4-H and always sewed – making her clothes from feed sacks. Joann grew up on a farm and the chicken and cow feed came in beautiful fabrics. All the reproductions aren’t half as pretty to Joann.

She grew up in Michigan – in the thumb of the mitten in a town call Capac. Coming from hardy German stock, at 18 she went to college in Illinois and found  her first husband there. After graduating she was a teacher and she and her husband moved to Arizona. He broke her heart and found a new love but she did have two beautiful boys.  She moved to California and worked everywhere to make a living. Finally, she got a special certificate in reading at Cal State Hayward and began teaching English at James Logan High School.

Now she has four grandchildren – two of each – ranging in age from 10 to 23. 

At the California Literature Project, she met a Hayward quilter who told her about Kathy’s class. So in 1988 she joined San Lorenzo Adult School with Kathy.  I can’t imagine having so much time quilting with Kathy. What a blessing.

Diana  Johnson – Joann’s personal quilter – told her about Pieced Together Quilters and she quickly found a new home.

Some of her other hobbies are reading mysteries but her Rheumatoid Arthritis is so severe, she is unable to do any hand work even using the machine to sew on binding. Fortunately, she can machine piece.

A little known fact about Joann is she wanted to be a nurse but soon found out she’d have to “toe the line” for doctors, so  she quickly switched to education. She taught 35 years and influenced scores of children to read and enjoy all there is to discover in books.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Muriel Morr

Muriel started quilting in 1991 with Linda Cumming, taking her beginner class, and maybe three years later moved to Kathy’s class.  She was in class all day on Thursday, morning with Linda and Thursday afternoon with Kathy.  She has previously made quilts without instruction and her next door neighbor was in Kathy’s class and told Muriel about San Lorenzo Adult School. She hurriedly joined!

Widowed in 1984, she was married in 1946 and celebrated 38 wonderful years together with her husband, George. Muriel was in school and her girl friend introduced she and George.  It wasn't love at first sight, but he had a car! They had a son and two daughters and two grandchildren, a boy and a girl.  She has a footlocker in the attic and has lots of toys and baby clothes just waiting for a great grandchild. No luck so far. Kathy so loved Muriel’s great-grandmother’s box, that she started one for her own grandchildren. Little Liam is a lucky little boy.

Joy had a couple of meetings at a restaurant in Hayward and Muriel went a few times and when the group moved to a regular meeting place, Sharon Clarke brought her along.  Joy was also in their afternoon quilting class with Kathy so it was an easy transition, especially after the tuition went up so much at San Lorenzo Adult School.

Having just finished planting her vegetable garden, Muriel spends lots of time outside. She cooks for her Eastern Star group. She likes to cook special meals, but is sick of the day-in-day-out cooking duty.

A little known fact is Muriel grew up in California but went to 21 schools before she graduated High School. Her dad’s job took them from town to town so Muriel grew-up making friends easily and fast.

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Patsy Harmon

Patsy began quilting in 1981 – self taught from a magazine. It was a Christmas wreath log cabin. She didn't have a sewing machine so she pieced it by hand! Imagine. Her grandmother quilted and made her clothes. Her grandmother could replicate any dress they showed her from a store or picture. Her sweet husband remembered a quilt on his bed as a youngster that was “Grandmother’s Flower Garden” the little hexagons. Patsy cut and pieced over 4000 hexagons for that quilt. After piecing it, she hand-quilted the project. She has had it on her bed ever since then and it’s a bit faded, but well-loved.

She never met Kathy, but knew Loraine Ryan from the library and Peacemakers Quilt Guild. Loraine told Joy and Joan Penrose that Patsy worked with appliqué and invited her to join Pieced Together Quilters.

Married to the love of her life whom she met at age 16. She and Bill have been married since 1959! They have two children, a boy and a girl and three grandchildren – two girls and a boy. They will welcome their great-grandaughter in July! Such a happy occasion.

Patsy grew-up in Michigan then moved to Hawthorne California in July 1958 where she fell in love at first sight with her sweet hubbie! They now reside in Hayward, living there for 17 years.

She loves to read and enjoys all kinds of music. She has always sung in the church choir and in quartets.

A little know fact about Patsy is she is basically shy in a large group preferring to meet in small groups. However, she easily integrated into Pieced Together Quilters because we are “Pieced together in love,” especially Joy, “She is such a loving person.”

Who’s Who in Pieced Together - Sabina Hill

Sabina has been quilting 25 years. Her mother-in-law was a quilter and when they visited her in Virginia, Sabina would watch her piece using tissue paper for her patterns. She first took a class with Linda Cumming 1986 and Kathy Honeycutt in 1987.  Such a long time knowing and loving Kathy.  She took her baby beginner class and just like me – never finished the sampler.  She still has the blocks – blue and peach – that could work out now!!!! 

Merle Hill was a handsome sailor whom Sabina saw from a distance and said “That’s for me!”  They have been married 41 years this September.  They dated for almost a year and had a non-denominational wedding blessed by the church several years later. (She is Irish Catholic from WAY back).  They have two beautiful daughters, Jennifer and Michelle. They gave her three beautiful grandchildren – so far. The little girl child was born in November to Michelle.  Jennifer has two wonderful boys.  Benjamin was the first boy and Sabina was thrilled to finally have her little man! Elijah is the middle boy.

Kristy Hanson was the lady who brought all the Tuesday night class to Pieced Together Quilters - assisting Joy with forming our evening class. That was how Sabina and I learned about this wonderful group.  We love coming to Thursday evening with all our old friends and new sisters.

She grew up in Oakland and now lives in San Lorenzo!!! 

Sabina always wanted to be an Ice Skater (princess on ice).  California isn’t one of the word hubs of figure skating, but that didn’t stop Sabina from dreaming.  Her other hobbies are reading but she mainly just loves the grandkids. She works for the Bay Area News Group as a supervisor in the circulation department.

Editor’s note: 

Sabina was one of the first ladies who welcomed me into the clique at San Lorenzo Adult School.  She was the first quilt lady to give me a present. It was a yard of newspaper headlines about a quilter’s husband who was buried under her stash. I have loved Sabina since I began quilting.