Westminster Village resident has passion for quilting

By REVIS BLAYLOCK

NEA Town Courier

Quilting has been making a comeback in recent years. Quilting was once considered a necessity by homemakers as they quilted to keep their families warm in the winter. It is now a popular part of the creative craft world. It is being embraced by women of all ages.

“Most quilts have a story,” Harris said. “There is a saying, ‘there is a piece of their soul in every quilt.’ That is so true.”

Sandra Harris, resident at Westminster Village, has a passion for quilting which goes back to her childhood summers visiting in Blytheville.

Sandra grew up in Benton Harbor, Mich. In the 1950s she and her siblings would spend summers in Blytheville visiting their grandparents at 1701 West Cherry Street.

Her grandmother did not quilt but while she was at work, the children spent time with their great-aunt who lived on the corner of 16th and McHaney Street.

“My aunt and other women would gather to quilt and at seven or eight years old, my job was to watch the snuff can and not let the little ones kick it over,” she said. “I didn’t quilt, but I watched and I listened to the work and conversations around me. While the women were piecing those quilts, they were talking about what was going on in their lives.

“Our maternal grandparents lived in Parma, Mo., and we would go from Blytheville to visit them during our southern visits. We would drive by the Blytheville Air Force Base and I loved looking across the base. We only saw it from the highway but it was impressive. Looking at the planes was a highlight for her.”

Harris never thought that some day in her future, she would actually be living on the base she admired as a child. She was getting near retirement age and was living in Detroit, Mich., when she received a letter of invitation to visit Westminster Village and see what they had to offer. She was serving as an assistant pastor at the time. She told her children that when she retired in 2015, she was going to move to Blytheville. They asked her where Blytheville is and why do you want to move there.

Sandra Harris holds one of her masterpiece quilts.

Harris has five grown children, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Near her retirement, she had knee surgery and was off work. Her daughters drove her to Blytheville to meet with the marketing director and residents at Westminster.

“When we left Michigan, the snow was up to our chins,” Harris said. “We met Leslie (the marketing director) at Westminster. I was in the visitor’s house looking out of the kitchen window when I saw two redbirds, another good sign that I wanted to retire in Blytheville. At that time the crime rate was high in Detroit and the winters were cold. We went through several available homes but I could not pick a house so I left it up to Leslie. When I retired, I moved here and I love it.”

She has always watched for opportunities in her life. In 1977 she was a single mother and had the chance to attend the University of Michigan. She packed up her kids and moved to Ann Arbor. Later she moved to Detroit.

Her living room at Westminster makes a perfect quilting studio with sewing machines, fabric, cutting boards and all of the tools she needs. She keeps everything well organized. Naturally, her favorite stores are fabric stores.

She has gone from being a volunteer to an advocate at the Haven, which she enjoys. She loves helping people.

Harris has sewn from a young age and later with four daughters, she was sewing most of the time. She started creating quilts in the 1980s. Her first full size quilt was a memory quilt for her oldest granddaughter’s 16th birthday. Many of her quilts have been gifts but she does do some commissioned quilts including a beautiful four generation quilt.

Most of her quilts tell a story. Her favorite, or one of her favorites, is the quilt she did in memory of her mother. It won first place in the Northeast Arkansas Fair.

Harris belongs to several quilting clubs including the National African American Quilt Guild, Black Arkansas Quilters and other quilting groups including the local Plain and Fancy Quilters.

“Most quilts have a story,” Harris said. “There is a saying, ‘there is a piece of their soul in every quilt.’ That is so true.”

In addition to quilting for her own pleasure, she taught quilting from 2009 to 2018. She has worked with beginners and advanced quilters. She stressed the importance of learning the basic skills.

She enjoys the National Quilting Museum in Paducah, Ky. There are special events during the quilting week.

Each of her quilts are labeled. Harris creates the tops, many with themes, but she doesn't do her own quilting. Each of her quilts have a label with the name of the quilter, the pattern, the date and other information. She said many people are left with quilt tops made by family members and they do not know what to do with them. She said there are good quilters available and she encourages people to find one and have the tops finished. They turn into a family keepsake. She also stressed the importance of labeling.

“Young women are turning from corporate America to quilt, design fabrics, notions and design patterns,” she said. “In the past, everyone used traditional patterns. Today bright, bold colors are popular.”

She said a good quote for a quilter is, “I live and breathe quilting. It keeps me from coming apart at the seams.”

Another of her favorite quilts is the 2018 African American Quilt Sampler she machine pieced and appliqued the blocks. She named the quilt “Back Door No More.” It features 30 blocks. Harris gave each block a meaning such as Sharecropper’s Field (slavery by another name); Double Wedding Ring (Jumping the Broom); Shotgun Houses (a roof overhead); The Church Lady (backbone of the church); A Great President, (we done arrived).

Quilts come in all sizes and Harris’ home is filled with wall hanging quilts.

Harris, with her Plain and Fancy Quilter’s team, recently made 10 quilts and 39 pillowcases for the Haven.

“When clients leave, they can take their quilts and pillowcases with them,” she said.

In addition to quilting, Harris can knit and crochet.

She is looking forward to joining other quilters on a 17-day quilting cruise to Hawaii in November. They will have time for quilting as well as seeing the sights. Through the years she has been on several quilting retreats.

“Quilting, like other things, has evolved over the years,” Harris pointed out. “We don’t use scissors, we have cutters. Many graphic designers are using their talents for quilting. I have several friends at Westminster who do beautiful quilting. Quilting takes a lot of work. You have to use math and reading skills.”

Harris shared tips on preserving heirloom quilts. Quilts should be taken out and refolded often. If they need washing, wash in cool water with a little liquid detergent. Hang out or dry. With her quilts, she includes the washing instructions. For dark colors she suggests using color catcher sheets. If possible, it is a good idea to store the quilts in acid free tissue. They also make acid free boxes.