"The Quiltmaker's Gift"

"The Quiltmaker's Gift" is a group quilt made by members of Palmetto Quilt Guild's Seabreeze Bee and led by Eileen Joyce of HHI.

Summer, 2006, the Seabreeze Quilting Bee of the Palmetto Quilt Guild, Hilton Head Island, SC, casually embarked on a quilting journey for their personal enjoyment. They referred to the companion pattern books based on the inspiring fable "The Quiltmaker’s Gift". If the end result was acceptable, they would share it with others. There were no deadlines. The only requirement was that colors should be "clear", not "muddy". Participants selected whatever block, fabric and size they liked. Would this ''loose as a goose scrappy project" amount to anything?

Six months later, Seabreeze gathered for its annual quilting retreat. The finished blocks were displayed. Members moved them around on the wall at will for 3 days. Not surprisingly, they failed to reach agreement on design. An hour before time to leave, a voice declared, "I’ll do it, but you have to let me do it my way and leave me alone." There were no objections. Like the main character in the fable, the owner of the voice went into a focused work mode, not on top of a mountain however, but behind beach dunes. As promised, they stayed away from her until she emerged with a completed quilt top that shocked and gratified all.

Backing was cut, and sent off with the top to another Palmetto Quilt Guild member for machine quilting. She felt so happy while quilting it, she wanted to keep it. Her request was ignored. The binding, sleeve, and labels were attached by volunteers anxious to complete in 2007 what had evolved into "an acceptable" quilt.

Consistent with the fable, it will never be for sale. It will always be shared with others as ...A Gift from the Quiltmakers.

1. "The Quiltmaker's Gift," a fable celebrating the joy of giving, written by Jeff Brumbeau, illustrated by Gail deMarcken, published in 2001 by Orchard Books, a subsidiary of Scholastic, Inc.
2. "Quilts From The Quiltmaker's Gift," patterns for generous quiltmakers, by Joanne Larsen Line and Nancy Loving Tubesing, published in 2001 by Scholastic, Inc.
3. "More Quilts From The Quiltmaker's Gift," additional patterns for generous quiltmakers, by Joanne Larsen Line, published in 2003 by Orchard Books.

Note: This quilt was completed in 2007 and is the property of the Palmetto Quilt Guild, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA. To inquire about "A Gift From The Quiltmakers" program, available to not-for-profit organizations, contact Eileen Joyce at (843) 671-4282.

NQA and its Chapters present these quilts to be seen and enjoyed on our website - but not copied by any means. These quilts remain the artistic property of the makers. Standard copyright rules apply.