Quilters sew up a good time
Second annual quilting bee leaves participants in stitches

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

MANY FARMS — It "seams" that Kathie Curley is always surrounded by a bunch of "sew-and-sews" and she couldn't be happier.

Curley and her group the Rez Quilters recently had a second annual quilting bee at the Many Farms Inn, where nearly 30 people took part. The group regularly meets at the Quality Inn in Window Rock every other Tuesday.

"We are so blessed," Curley said of the camaraderie of her group.

"The group makes new members feel welcome," said Rita Washburn of Lupton. Often when you belong to a group or organization, you stay in your "comfort zone" and interact with the same clique, she explained. The nice thing about having a weekend retreat is that you get to interact with a lot of other group members, Washburn said.

"You get to meet new friends you haven't really talked to before," Washburn said.

The quilters like to invite other people to join them, Curley said.

"There's not a stranger when it comes to the Rez Quilters," she laughed.

In October, the quilters invited some first-timers to join them, and the veterans paired up with newcomers to work on projects. Some of those first-timers are now permanently attached to the group.

It's not all work, either; the group has its share of cut-ups!

"Sometimes it would be all quiet and all you could hear is the sewing machines, then I crack a joke and everybody laughs," said Dee Roanhorse of Oak Springs. The retreat was fun, even if it followed the same pattern "Cut, cut, cut, sew, sew, sew and rip, rip, rip," Roanhorse chuckled.

They did take some breaks to play bingo. Some local vendors like Bernina's Sewing Center in Farmington and the Gallup Mini Mart donated prizes.

"I think some of the quilters became bingo addicts," Curley said.

"I enjoyed every bit of (the retreat)," said Christine House of Fort Defiance. "I especially enjoyed the bingo!"

House was a weaver before she got involved with the Rez Quilters last year now there's no quitting quilting, she said.

Betty Yazzie likes the retreat because it's a chance to learn some new techniques, she said. This year, two teachers came to the retreat to work with the group.

"I learned to play bingo," Yazzie said. And she created a technique there raising her hand when she won a game that happened often.

"I told her, 'You can't raise your hand, you have to yell bingo,' " Roanhorse said. Yazzie, her neighbor, said she didn't know how to play bingo so they jokingly asked to sit at the beginner's table, Roanhorse said.

"But I just kept winning," Yazzie said.

The $1 a game bingo was used as a fundraiser for the group and it brought in $190, said Curley said.

"I won a fat quarter," Yazzie laughed.

"That's not a body part," Curley hastily explained. "It's a measurement in quilting!"

Cheryl Lowery was one of those newcomers from last October who has now become a fixture in the group. The other ladies though men are welcome, and two attended the retreat are all very helpful to newbies, she said.

"This is really a good thing," Lowery said.

First-timer Paula Yazzie agreed. She won the big prize at bingo a sewing machine from Bernina's and is already looking forward to next year's retreat.

"I like it; we're always learning something new," said Linda Dahozy.

On March 31, the quilters will be at the Quality Inn all day as some fellow quilting enthusiasts join them from Moab, Utah.

"It's nice that we're going to have some of our neighbors join us," said Curley said. She and the rest of the Rez Quilters make it clear that everyone is welcome to come by or join their close-knit circle of friends.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443.