Created by the community it represents, a large quilt that spells out “San Diego” – each sewn block resembling an aspect of the city’s culture was hung up by the Seaside Quilters Guild of Pacific Beach on Aug. 17 at the Pacific Beach/Taylor Branch Library.
From January to March, the Seaside Quilters Guild of Pacific Beach invited San Diegans to come to a workshop to create a quilted block that represented something they love about their city – whether it be a hobby, interest, beach, or beloved local university.
Around 20-30 people showed up to each of the three workshops and contributed a block – some experienced quilters, others new to the craft.
“The block that turned out to be my favorite was from a lady who came in and said, ‘I’m going to make an aircraft carrier,’” said Seaside Quilters Guild member Deborah Lancaster. “Going in, she knew what she wanted to do and she executed it well. Other people would come in and say, “‘I just wanted to see,’ ‘I’ve never done this,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ and we would encourage them, show them how to do it, and get them started with an idea.”
After the workshops were finished, Lancaster, alongside the other two organizers – Christine Bernet and Carol Simpson – got to work laying out the placement and design of the contributed blocks. After the layout was finalized, another Seaside Quilters Guild member used a long-arm machine to stitch together the design layer, batting, and cotton backing to make one large quilt.
The result of the project was a roughly 8-foot by 10-foot quilt.
“It has all the colors and flavors of San Diego,” said Lancaster. “All the interests are reflected by the people that contributed – it’s just wonderful.”
At the Aug. 17 event, the Seaside Quilters Guild of Pacific Beach invited community members back out to see the finished product hung up at the library. The evening featured refreshments and an array of quilts made by guild members, including traditional pieces, scenic quilts, handmade quilts, and more.
“We’ve been working on it for over a year, the three of us, and to have such a great community response was the best,” said Lancaster. “Now seeing the quilt finished, it’s kind of amazing.”
