Throughout the school year, one group learns about the basics of quilting

On a Saturday morning at the 1912 Center in Moscow, Idaho, a small group of people were working on sewing curved quilt pieces. Palouse Patchers, a local nonprofit, offers a beginner course in quilting that runs the length of the school year.

Curved piecing, the technique the group was working on, is considered more advanced. That’s why it’s saved for the fifth month of the class, said Tonia Green, the coordinator for the beginner quilting group. Students master one technique each month, starting with the quarter inch seam. 

An example of curved piecing hangs on the wall for student reference. (Credit: Phineas Pope / NWPB)

Sarah Middleton, one of the quilting students, had several pieces of fabric with colorful patterns laid out on a sewing mat.

“I love to sew, I love to craft,” Middleton said. “It’s about the process, and in the winter, this is a wonderful time to have a little bit more quiet.”

Quilting student Sarah Middleton selects fabric to make curved pieces. (Credit: Phineas Pope / NWPB)

Green said each fall they see around 12 to 14 new students. While some bring experience, others have never touched a sewing machine before. 

“We’re really just encouraging people to try something new, and just have a new group of friends,” Green said. “A lot of the women that come to the class are either newly empty nesters, or newly retired and kind of looking for a new role in their life.” 

It is a requirement for students to bring their own sewing machines to class, but Green said it doesn’t have to be expensive or new. It might just be the one in the back of the closet at home. 

At the end of the course, all the students get to take home a finished quilt. 

This story is part of a continuing series highlighting nonprofits in the Northwest.