What is Quilty Pleasures?

Quilty Pleasures is a quilt group based right here in Chester, although many of our members are from other towns in the area.  We meet twice a month.  Most of our quilters have some – or a great deal – of quilting and sewing experience; however, while we do not technically teach quilting, we are proud to say that we do encourage and mentor newer quilters who take the initiative to begin an apprenticeship.   

Quilting?  Isn’t that a dying art?

The answer is a resounding no!  There are an estimated thirty million active sewists (a person who sews, especially as a hobby) in the US and Canada, and the quilting industry anticipates $5 billion in sales by 2026-27. 

Who are these quilters?

The average quilter begins to quilt in her 50’s, not surprisingly an age when time, space and income are more available, and empty nests may be filled with quilting paraphernalia. 

I like modern things.  Isn’t quilting old fashioned? 

While many quilters love to carry on the beloved traditions and techniques of the past, it is an evolving craft, constantly moving into the present.  New tools, fabrics, computerized sewing machines and designs are one of the reasons for that $5 billion estimate.  There are many quilters who use recycled fabrics and basic sewing machines to create extraordinary pieces, but many more are quilting product consumers who attend huge shows all over the country to see the latest in quilting trends.  These days, contemporary designs, colors and patterns will appeal even to the staunchest minimalist.  A quilt may be a wall hanging, a table runner or an article of clothing.  It is not just a bed covering.  An art quilt is literally a piece of art that happens to be quilted.  It may feature thread painting, hand-dyed fabrics, painted fabrics and dozens of other innovative techniques – in short, not your grandmother’s quilt, as cherished as that may be.  This is decidedly not an art form frozen in the past.

What do these quilts represent?

The exhibit is comprised of small quilts made by Quilty Pleasures members.  Some are made by quilters with decades of experience; others are made by members who are relatively new to quilting.  Please look at the card by each quilt for information on the quilter and the quilt and also at the slide show with pictures of larger quilts by our members.  Quilters are bound not only by a passion for their craft but also by the friendship and camaraderie that is intrinsic to being a part of a quilt group.  That is the one thing that remains unchanged over the centuries.

Quilty Pleasures meets at The Chester Library on the second Thursday of each month from 10:00 to 1:00 and at The Chester Community Presbyterian Church on the fourth Thursday of each month from 10:30 to 1:30. For information please call Bea Hailes 973-886-5469.