Teamwork makes the quilting dream work: Raffle prize is key component of show
Published 12:14 pm Friday, February 28, 2025
- Members of the Peninsula Quilt Guild take pride in working ahead on their annual raffle quilt, ready for the annual March show at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco. Pictured at a booth during a local festival are Janice Strigen, Julie Wheat and Terry Weeks. In front are Toni Healy and Laura Waldren.
Learning is a key part of the culture at Peninsula Quilt Guild.
Some while ago, leaders hosted what they labeled a “1/4-inch seam boot camp.” Longtime member Terry Weeks said the camp “provided a technique to perfect that elusive 1/4-inch seam.”
The mastery of a key element of creating fiber art played a part in creating this year’s raffle quilt, which is one component of the Guild’s annual show at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco.
“Each year we attempt to find a pattern that is a new technique to our quilters as we consider the raffle quilt to be part classroom and part fun,” she said.
Weeks and Teresa Collins, who chaired the raffle quilt project, shopped for fabric and discovered some bargains.
“We have a group of six to 10 ladies who are involved with doing the raffle quilt,” Weeks said. “We have met together both in a group and have also worked at home to complete the raffle quilt.”
The 2025 design, “Rainbow Alaska,” was primarily completed by passing out kits for each block that each quilter returned as a completed block.
“Rainbow Alaska” had members learning the Edyta Sitar technique for piecing shapes that are difficult to piece accurately, said Weeks. “Edyta Sitar is the designer behind Laundry Basket Quilts, whose quilts are beautiful and very popular.”
The quilt will be on display with 105 others at the museum from March 14-16. Tickets for the drawing will be available at the show with the winner selected Sunday afternoon.
Weeks said each year’s creation is a pleasure.
“The group that creates the raffle quilt are always happy to do some work for the quilt, as they get to participate in creating something that is often new and different for them and we always have many volunteers for this community effort,” she said.
The Guild meets monthly and showcases members’ show-and-tell creations on its Facebook page; members support several charities, making donations to food banks and other groups.
• The show will be featured in the March 13 issue of Coast Weekend.
If You Go
Peninsula Quilt Guild
Annual show
Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum, 115 Lake St. SE, in Ilwaco, Wash.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14, 15 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 16.
Admission free.
