Quilter's Haven

Quilter's Haven is a cozy little place tucked into a corner on the south end of Highland Avenue near Route 17. It's a classroom, a social hall, and an art exhibit all rolled into one. Technique instruction, open sews, and biannual retreats are all part of the offerings there. Spirits were high when I visited a class on Saturday afternoon, where about 10 or so ladies were laughing and joking as much as they were learning how to sew gorgeous quilts and turning out their creations. The shop is owned by husband and wife team Jill and Butch. Jill is a no-nonsense kind of person, taking her work seriously, while seriously having fun. Jill has been sewing since she was 16 years old. She taught herself how to quilt because it was just something that appealed to her and she always wanted to do it. She also taught her husband Butch how to quilt too. Jill and Butch's passion for quilting continued to grow and eventually it grew into Quilter's Haven, which is now coming up on a decade in business. Jill opened Quilter's Haven because she felt that there was a need for a place in Middletown where people could come together and work on their projects and meet other people who have a common interest. Jill says she still takes classes herself sometimes, as “You can never stop learning.” She loves all aspects of quilting, “the fabric selection, picking the pattern, cutting the pieces, sewing them, quilting, then binding. The social and creative aspect of it go hand in hand; quilters are giving and friendly. We all are open to help anyone who needs a hand, be it material or other things”

Quilting has an incredibly long and rich history. The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in New York City has declared 2011 the Year of The Quilt. Jill says that she has visited AFAM in the past and she had a wonderful day in the city. She wants to go back this year to see the AFAM's special quilt exhibits, and says “I am in awe of quilt exhibits, you can look at a quilt a million times and still find something you didn't see the time before.”

Quilter's Haven has clients of all ages from teenagers to elderly and everything in between. Jill says “each quilter is special in their own way. We have comedians who keep us all laughing, we have very talented people who volunteer and give their finished quilts to charity, and as a whole we have donated hundreds of pillow cases to children who have cancer. We have donated finished quilts to the Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center on Saybrook Road. Quilters are very giving and I thank all of our clients for that.”

The upcoming spring retreat will be March 31^st to April 3^rd. Photos from the December gathering can be seen via this link. Open Sews are on Tuesday and Thursday mid-day and Wednesday evenings. This is an opportunity for people to bring their own projects and work on them in a group. The main page is at www.QuiltersHavenCT.com, where you can find contact information and class schedules. I was having camera problems when I visited Quilter's Haven and I didn't get any decent photos of the quilts that were hanging on the walls there, and they were so exquisite that I don't think any photo could do them justice. So instead I have these from the website of the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts:

To see some of the quilts that are sewn by skilled

people right here in town, check out the

Quilter's Haven website or stop in for a visit.

LeMoyne Star, c. 1840

Anonymous, Pennsylvania

74" x 83"

Cotton

Hand pieced and hand quilted.

Gift of the Binney Family, 1991.07

Lowell Crazy Quilt, 1893 - 1904

Blanche Wiggin Staples (Robinson)

Lowell, Massachusetts

72" x 60"

Silks, satins, taffetas, velvets

Appliquéd, pieced, and embroidered.

Gift of Judith Hall, 1989.02