Our 2025 Pioneer Quilters Boutique--OH MY!!

We go to quilt shows because we love to see the marvelous quilts.  And we often wish we had a particular talent or the remarkable sense of color or design that we enjoy in the quilts.  Or we long to own something made by one of these gifted women.

One of the very special things about a show put on by Pioneer Quilters is the Boutique.  Our creative and generous members spend untold hours making items they feel our guests may be interested in purchasing.  This year is no different, and I've been saving my extra dollars.  We hope you have too!

For many of us, it's a fantastic place to buy special gifts, whether for a birthday, holiday, hostess, Mother's Day gift, or just because someone is special to you. The talents of our members shine in these items.

Today, May 1st, was the day we set up the show--all the gorgeous quilts to admire AND the Boutique room was stocked for our guests to visit.  

Every year our members get more and more creative.  I've already determined there are numerous items I can't live without, and others that it'll be fun to surprise someone with.  Happily, our amazing Boutique seamstresses made more than one of some items.

Here's a list of just some of the Boutique items available for your shopping pleasure Friday and Saturday as we celebrate 50 years of hand quilting together:

Aprons, Adult and Child

 

Armchair Sewing Caddies 

Baby Receiving Blankets

Bibs

                       

Barbie Outfits 

  

Book Covers

  Bowl Cozies  

Coasters

Cloth Gift Bags

Cloth Napkins, large and small

Coiled Bowls

 

Decorative Hand Towels

Lavender Sachets

Linen Dish Towels

Luggage Tags

    Mini Wallets     

                          

                                                               

 Mini Zipper Bags

Napkin Sets

 Notepad Covers

    

                                   Ornaments

Pillows, Pillow Covers, Pillowcases

 

      Pincushions    

                                                             

                            

  Potholders

Quilted Placemats

Quilts--small and medium

 

Scrubbers, crocheted

      Scrunchies    

                        

Tabletop Sewing Tool Holders

Teapot Cozies

Tote Bags

Towels

Vintage Lace

Wine Bags

And in a special category of their own:

I didn't get pics of everything in the Boutique--do treat yourself to some time to browse.  

Please join us to celebrate our founders and all the hand quilters who have joined Pioneer Quilters since 1975! Enjoy our Founders' amazing quilts and the ones current members are presenting for your viewing pleasure.  The talent and creativity continues!

Remember, our celebration is Friday (5/1), 1 pm to 6 pm and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm.  Join us--you'll be glad you did!

Fun fact of the day.

Altogether, our 46 current Pioneer Quilters have been members for 176 years.  

The range is about 2 months to 50 years!

MARTHA BLOCKS

I asked current members to share photos of blocks and quilts from the hands of Martha Allwander, a founding member of Pioneer Quilters.  They are treasures to their families, but also to some current Pioneer Quilters who are fortunate enough to own examples of Martha's creativity and skill.  Martha was beyond generous in sharing her handiwork with members of the group.  I'd like to show you some examples:

Diane Jeffcott shared these two quilts made of what we typically call "Martha Blocks"--blocks hand sewn by Martha and donated to Pioneer Quilters.  I remember Martha visiting one Wednesday as we were quilting the second one in the frame.  She sat down and added some lovely stitches to it too.

Ginny Morrow won these wonky log cabin blocks made by Martha, at a  silent auction.  They are paper-pieced on newspaper,  but unfortunately none show the date.  So far, Ginny has made a placemat from a few of them.

Karen Wilson won this kit of precut1930's reproduction fabrics for 72 blocks.  Martha had completed these four of them.  Karen gave the kit to Sigrid Reinhardt, who has decided to use it for her friendship blocks in our current exchange.

This sweet quilt showcases Dresden Plate blocks by Martha Allwander combined with Sunbonnet Sue blocks sewn by Leona Kuddlemeyer, assembled and bound by Susan Rogers, fairly recently handquilted by Pioneer Quilters.  Photo taken when our quilting was just completed, and the quilt was not yet bound.

Barbara Fox's quilt of Martha blocks was the first one Pioneer Quilters quilted when we started meeting again after the pandemic.

Daryl Eccles was the lucky winner of  two sets of blocks in one of the auctions.

Jeanne Wong won these Martha blocks and pieced them into a quilt which she hand quilted before giving it to a grieving friend. 

Carol Gassman won these pink tulip blocks strip-pieced by Martha at a gift exchange at our Christmas party one year, and designed this quilt to feature them.  Pioneer Quilters hand quilted it and here it is as it came out of the frame--quilting completed!

Pat Glassow shared a photo of the quilt she designed using Martha blocks, which she won in a drawing.  Jodie Perry was also enamored of the blocks, so Pat came up with this design that didn't use all of the blocks and she shared the others with Jodie!

Sue Oja shared details of this Martha quilt, which you'll get to see in person at our 50th Anniversary Celebration May 2 & 3.  Notice the fussy-cut hexies in the middle photo.

Martha made all of the smaller Sunbonnet Sue blocks in Beth Weldy's quilt.  This was Beth's friendship block quilt--participating members created blocks of the larger Sues doing various things at the Lane County Fair.

And Beth is finishing the binding for this one--see it in person at our 50-Year Celebration!

Lois Scott shared the Martha quilt she owns:

And these are the Martha blocks Lois's daughter Sally Scott Oliver won and is piecing into a quilt.

So much of Martha's amazing generosity over the years is documented here,  but I'd also like to share blocks made for her in one of our 1984 Friendship Block exchange. You'll see them at the Celebration!

In May of last year, Lois visited Martha (left), bringing her this cheerful quilt she'd made out of some colorful blocks Martha had donated.  

We were so very sad to lose Martha last summer, at the age of 101. What an amazing, creative, generous and delightful woman she was!