What are the Piecemakers, and what do they do?
About Us
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Piecemakers Quilt Guild is a talented group of quilt makers who meet monthly to share their love of the
needle arts and to combine their abilities with their giving, compassionate nature. The group currently has
about 50-60 members, many of whom head up different various committees, from a Sunshine Committee
that brightens the day of any member who is experiencing an illness or family issue, to a Raffle Committee
that oversees the construction of the next large quilt project for the show each year.
President Diane presides over the meeting each second Tuesday of the Month at 7 pm at the Zion United
Methodist Church in Marshfield. She and the other officers, Ardith, Marijean, and Carol report on various
guild commitments and/or news. The business portion of the meeting typically takes an hour. Lisa and
Debbie schedule a demonstration or some sort of entertaining game or puzzle, the group breaks for a snack
supplied by scheduled groups of members, then the meeting finishes up by 9:00 with show and tell.
At any given time there are a number of projects going on within the guild. Ardith plans and schedules the
annual Sleepover night with quilters arriving Friday afternoon and sewing through the night until breakfast is
prepared in the morning and machines are packed up and taken back home. Not everyone chooses to stay
all night, and some take a time out nap to rejuvenate their creative processes. Reports from participants are
always fun to hear, with stories of silliness due to loss of sleep.
Ardith also oversees the Production Quilt each year, a large undertaking that usually includes 20-30
members. Each person is assigned one portion of the quilt and has to make enough of that particular block
or piece for each participant to get one. All are exchanged and in the end, everyone has all the components
to make a wonderful quilt.
Carol works on the mystery quilt handouts each season. Participating members get clues for specific steps
in making a quilt - cutting directions one month, maybe strip piecing the next, all the while not having a clue
what the final quilt is going to look like. The last clues have instructions for the final quilt layout and when
they are finished the members bring them to a meeting where a viewer's choice prize is awarded. There is
a designated area in the Treasures of Tomorrow Quilt Show for the mystery quilts to be hung.
In addition to the above mentioned events the guild provides a valuable charity service in the Marshfield and
surrounding community area. Members may donate to any or all of the following:
Lap robes are made and donated to area nursing homes and respite care centers for the residents.
Special care is taken to be sure the dimensions are right to fit a person in a wheelchair if necessary.
Neonatal Quilts - The guild also supplies the neonatal department at St Joseph's Hospital with tiny quilts
and shrouds. Many members use that opportunity to try a new block or technique, quilting and binding it to
size for donation. The shrouds are unquilted soft colored coverlets for burials, even the tiniest little person is
remembered.
Hope Lodge - a housing unit for families and patients undergoing treatment at the Clinic or Hospital for
Cancer. Many times the distance is too far to travel back and forth, so lodging is provided. The quilt guild
provides wall quilts for decoration, and bed quilts for the lodge.
Presentation Quilts - Quilts are made for special occasions such as Habitat for Humanity houses, Ronald
McDonald House, families displaced by fire or a natural disaster of some sort. Anyone may work on or
donate a quilt or fabrics to use for this purpose.
Disaster Relief - Quilting supplies were sent by the truckload to flooded families in North Dakota, during
Hurricane Katrina tote bags were made and filled with personal hygiene supplies and necessary toiletry
articles. Some included crayons and coloring books, gifts of money, food treats. Drop offs and pick ups
were arranged to ensure the items were delivered.
The above list is only a portion of the community service perforned by the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. In
addition, they award a scholarship fund each year for traditional and non-traditional students, they support
Wisconsin Public Television for promoting quilting programs and in general are willing to use their skills
whenever needed for assistance and comfort.
Interested persons are welcome to attend up to 3 meetings to see if they would like to join the guild. Yearly
dues of $20 are collected at the September meeting, however quilters may join at any time of the year.
Contact a current member at the quilt show for more information.
needle arts and to combine their abilities with their giving, compassionate nature. The group currently has
about 50-60 members, many of whom head up different various committees, from a Sunshine Committee
that brightens the day of any member who is experiencing an illness or family issue, to a Raffle Committee
that oversees the construction of the next large quilt project for the show each year.
President Diane presides over the meeting each second Tuesday of the Month at 7 pm at the Zion United
Methodist Church in Marshfield. She and the other officers, Ardith, Marijean, and Carol report on various
guild commitments and/or news. The business portion of the meeting typically takes an hour. Lisa and
Debbie schedule a demonstration or some sort of entertaining game or puzzle, the group breaks for a snack
supplied by scheduled groups of members, then the meeting finishes up by 9:00 with show and tell.
At any given time there are a number of projects going on within the guild. Ardith plans and schedules the
annual Sleepover night with quilters arriving Friday afternoon and sewing through the night until breakfast is
prepared in the morning and machines are packed up and taken back home. Not everyone chooses to stay
all night, and some take a time out nap to rejuvenate their creative processes. Reports from participants are
always fun to hear, with stories of silliness due to loss of sleep.
Ardith also oversees the Production Quilt each year, a large undertaking that usually includes 20-30
members. Each person is assigned one portion of the quilt and has to make enough of that particular block
or piece for each participant to get one. All are exchanged and in the end, everyone has all the components
to make a wonderful quilt.
Carol works on the mystery quilt handouts each season. Participating members get clues for specific steps
in making a quilt - cutting directions one month, maybe strip piecing the next, all the while not having a clue
what the final quilt is going to look like. The last clues have instructions for the final quilt layout and when
they are finished the members bring them to a meeting where a viewer's choice prize is awarded. There is
a designated area in the Treasures of Tomorrow Quilt Show for the mystery quilts to be hung.
In addition to the above mentioned events the guild provides a valuable charity service in the Marshfield and
surrounding community area. Members may donate to any or all of the following:
Lap robes are made and donated to area nursing homes and respite care centers for the residents.
Special care is taken to be sure the dimensions are right to fit a person in a wheelchair if necessary.
Neonatal Quilts - The guild also supplies the neonatal department at St Joseph's Hospital with tiny quilts
and shrouds. Many members use that opportunity to try a new block or technique, quilting and binding it to
size for donation. The shrouds are unquilted soft colored coverlets for burials, even the tiniest little person is
remembered.
Hope Lodge - a housing unit for families and patients undergoing treatment at the Clinic or Hospital for
Cancer. Many times the distance is too far to travel back and forth, so lodging is provided. The quilt guild
provides wall quilts for decoration, and bed quilts for the lodge.
Presentation Quilts - Quilts are made for special occasions such as Habitat for Humanity houses, Ronald
McDonald House, families displaced by fire or a natural disaster of some sort. Anyone may work on or
donate a quilt or fabrics to use for this purpose.
Disaster Relief - Quilting supplies were sent by the truckload to flooded families in North Dakota, during
Hurricane Katrina tote bags were made and filled with personal hygiene supplies and necessary toiletry
articles. Some included crayons and coloring books, gifts of money, food treats. Drop offs and pick ups
were arranged to ensure the items were delivered.
The above list is only a portion of the community service perforned by the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. In
addition, they award a scholarship fund each year for traditional and non-traditional students, they support
Wisconsin Public Television for promoting quilting programs and in general are willing to use their skills
whenever needed for assistance and comfort.
Interested persons are welcome to attend up to 3 meetings to see if they would like to join the guild. Yearly
dues of $20 are collected at the September meeting, however quilters may join at any time of the year.
Contact a current member at the quilt show for more information.