This definition of community is fairly dry: “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common” (in our case, the love of quilting). As we navigate our way through the stresses associated with the pandemic, quilters have been able to foster a more emotional definition of community … that is, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
Nine months in, I am delighted to report that, under the leadership of our enthusiastic executive team and ancillary volunteers, York Heritage Quilters Guild is thriving.
To get our bearings in the new terrain of meeting virtually, we held some Zoom training sessions during the summer, at which we broadcast a Zoom Orientation video, produced by one of our own talented members! And we held a joint meeting with another guild, something we’re hoping to repeat in future.
Besides participating in our monthly meetings online, members have the opportunity to join weekly two-hour sew-along sessions (also on Zoom) on three different days. These have been instrumental in keeping people connected, inspired and in fostering new friendships. Our community quilting program, a key element of our 40-year-old guild, is still flourishing. We have established locations around the city (aka volunteers’ homes) where materials and finished quilts can be picked up and dropped off. Several donations were made to charities in November, and in December, a major donation of 114 quilts (as well as toiletries, toys and money) was made to one of our “pet” charities, Nonnina’s Table. This organization provides free community meals throughout the year to those in need, and the items we contributed brought some comfort and joy into their lives via the annual holiday baskets.
A wildly successful “Holiday Happening” event took place in December via Zoom. A small but creative team devised a lively agenda full of surprises (and prizes). By using breakout rooms, smaller groups were encouraged to get to know one another and share a few laughs (which was always a challenge during pre-COVID times, since we have more than 150 attending meetings). You’d have to be there to really appreciate the fabrics that were entered into the “Why on earth did I buy that?” contest. And the top-rated “Non-traditional tools used in quilt making” included dental picks and a grapefruit spoon!
Our first Zoom workshop was fully subscribed (and enthusiastically appreciated by the attendees), and we have six more planned for the coming months. In January, we’ll hold a virtual Annual General Meeting, followed by a sew-along activity (using breakout rooms) to make Arrowhead quilt blocks for donation quilts. A win-win, as participants will learn a new technique and we will generate lots of blocks for some stunning quilts.
I know I speak for many others when I say that our quilting community has been and will continue to be an important factor in keeping us focused on helping others while helping ourselves during these unprecedented times.
