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Sew On & Sew Forth: The Quilting Art of Lois Williams
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2021/05 – May
Lois Williams tried to stop, but the siren song of Quilting proved irresistible.
Lois Williams Wrangle
Lois Williams Wrangle is a prolific quilter, but she hasn’t always been.
Her quilting epiphany came in 1995. A friend at Church of the Good Shepherd made quilts for annual fundraising raffles.
When she had to quit, she asked church women to continue in her stead. Lois didn’t know how to quilt, but she wanted the tradition to continue. On the following Wednesday at 12:30 on a wing, a prayer, and a fat quarter, she walked into the Cashiers Quilters weekly meeting to embark on a new craft.
The rest is history.
The quilters welcomed her with open arms, nimble-thimbled fingers, and yards of fabulous fabric. Today Lois stitches lap quilts, adult and baby quilts, and so much more. If a thing’s not moving she’s likely to cover it with nine-patch, double-wedding ring, or eight-point star.
Her husband once laughingly said, “Okay, let me get this straight. You buy a bunch of fabric. You cut it into little pieces. Then you stitch it all back together again.”
Right now, Lois is working on three quilts, shifting one to the other. Her most recent project is a pink baby quilt. Yep, you guessed it. It’s for a granddaughter, due in October.
In the early 1900s quilts were household essentials. They were made of repurposed clothing, feed sacks, old linens, and fabric scraps. Mid-century templates replaced paper and cardboard patterns. Technology kicked in the 1980s when hand quilting was replaced by affordable quilting machines.
Today, most quilters do piecing by hand or sewing machine, then ship the cover off to a company that stitches quilt-top, fill, and quilt-bottom together in a variety of dazzling designs. In just one century we’ve come a long way from quilting bees (piecing together Grampa’s thread-bare overalls and flour sacks) to phenomenal hand-dyed art fabric creations.
Cashiers Quilters are gearing up or a 2021 regrouping. Join them on Wednesdays at 12:30 P.M. at St. Jude’s Catholic Church. Beginner to advanced quilters are welcome. Aside from making quilts for family and friends, you can make cozy gifts of comfort for seniors, shut-ins, those in recovery, or those in need.
Assuming the Covid veil is lifted, you’re invited to Cashiers Quilt Show at the Cashiers Fall Leaf Festival, October 9. Call Guild President Joan at (828) 331-7031 or visit cashiersquilters.com.
