Guild History

BORDERLINE QUILTERS, INC.
A HISTORY OF THE GUILD
Compiled by Jan Fife, Mardee Cooke, Audrey Hall and Linda Todd 2010

In St. Lawrence County, quilting formally began in 1982 with Mardee Cooke, as part of her position with Cornell Cooperative Extension. One hundred interested people signed up for classes. Due to the amount of interest, two classes were organized—afternoon and evening sessions. These classes were held monthly on the last Monday of the month. As time passed and the economy changed, it became clear that the connection with Cooperative Extension must take a different direction. The question became: Do we become a club or a guild? Representatives of guilds from Watertown and the Champlain Valley facilitated discussions on this question. After about a year a vote was taken by the participants and a guild won. The difference between the two ideas was that a guild is a legally organized group with a community service component. A club was more loosely organized and did not have these requirements. Consequently, Borderline Quilters began in 1993 with incorporation taking place in 1994 and By-Laws developed soon after. The initial directors were: Jo Ann Zengler, Rena G. Patty, Carmen Patterson, and Deborah Catalano. The purpose of the newly formed guild was:

...to satisfy the interests of the Guild members and to promote interest in quilting for area residents by providing meetings for exchange of ideas, working on quilting projects, educational opportunities through workshops and programs, shows for community and other such activities that further these purposes as designated by the Membership.

Presidents of the Guild have been as follows:

1995. Jo Ann Zenger

Rena Patty (Deceased)
Jackie Hayes

1999-2000 Audrey Hall 2001 Sharon Mason 2002-2003 Janice Sexton

2004 Christine Bradshaw
2005 Darlene Flight

2006-2007 Lisa LaRock 2008-Date Debbie Shecton

Monthly meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month. There is an afternoon and evening session with two joint meetings (in May and October) held in the evening. Monthly agenda items may include celebration of birthdays for the month, show and tell time, a program of quilt learning, and refreshments. At various times, including 2010, workshops and/or other

activities have been planned for Saturdays. These classes for craft items and quilt projects are generally taught by Guild members, but the talents of non-members are also used.

Three major events have been sponsored by Borderline Quilters, Inc.: Quilt Camp, Quilt Show, and Cabin Fever.

Quilt Camp began in 1990 under the sponsorship of Cooperative Extension and housed at 4-H Camp Overlook in Mountain View. The Guild took over in 1994 and has moved to Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg by way of SUNY Potsdam and the Star Lake Campus. This weekend event is held each fall with classes on various quilting subjects. (Quilt Camp has since turned into Quilt-cation.)

The Quilt Show happened bi-annually on a weekend in June at Cheel Arena of Clarkson University in Potsdam. It began in 1995. Now each show has a theme and members show quilts of all shapes, colors and styles. There is no judging, but viewers are encouraged to vote on their favorite. Viewer Choice awards are presented on various categories. The event also includes demonstrations on quilting techniques, displays of antique quilts and a wide variety of vendors. (The show has since been discontinued.)

Cabin Fever, an annual mid-winter/early-spring weekend, started in 1998 at the Star Lake Campus of SUNY Potsdam and then moved to Dodge Pond. During the weekend, participants would participate in classes of their choice or work on their own particular projects.

Community Service is an integral part of who we are as a Guild and what we do—the sharing of our skills to serve others so that the quality of their lives might be enhanced. Project examples include:

(1) Seasonal placements for the homebound who receive Meals on Wheels
(2) Christmas stocking ornaments for the nursing homes
(3) Lap quilts for nursing homes
(4) Pillowcases for all ages as part of the Million Pillowcases National Project
(5) Group quilts to be used for fund raising—e.g., Renewal House, Potsdam
Humane Society
(6) Quilts for Kids given to St. Lawrence County agencies dealing with kids who
are in need of a little comfort and attention
(7) Quilts of Valor for Military personnel assigned to Ft. Drum

Quilting has for decades provided opportunities for the gathering of people to learn and work on quilting projects, to exchange ideas and to develop relationships with each other and the community. Borderline Quilters welcomes you into our Guild.