"Colors of the Community" 2025 NLQG Raffle Quilt

FUNDRAISER

Building a Quilt by Engaging a Community

By: Jane Buskey

In 2024, the Northern Lights Quilt Guild was featured for a day in the Craft Tent at the New Hampshire League of Craftsmen’s Fair in Sunapee, NH. We highlighted the 2024 guild-wide Pinwheel Challenge. Pictured above are Jane Buskey, Barbara Gifford, Deb Hammond, and Stephanie Howes, co-conspirators for quilt creation.

To kick things off, Barbara Gifford made hundreds of saturated solid-colored half-square triangle blocks to prepare for our tent demonstration. At the August Fair we invited attendees to dive in, and design a pinwheel block in one of two sizes. Armed with their sewing machines, Barb and Stephanie Howes demonstrated how to actually sew the blocks created by the community. This brought the reality of creating a quilt to life! The idea evolved further, based upon the crowd-sourced excitement and pride.

We invited creators to return to the Fair in August of 2025, so that they could see their blocks in this community-created quilt. As the idea evolved, we knew that this could be our NLQG Raffle Quilt. And further, participants could buy a chance on a beautiful quilt that they helped to create! In the coming months Barbara continued to invite quilters, retreat attendees, and even her neighbors, to choose from the solid-colored squares to design individual blocks.

She meticulously pieced the dozens of blocks together with her talented eye for a pleasing layout. Deb Hammond, guild member and owner of Haphazard Quilting, donated fabrics for the back and binding of the group quilt. Lynn Wheatley, professional long-arm quilter and guild member, donated her time and talents to provide the beautiful surface design. Jane Buskey and Pat Clinton bound the quilt.

This quilt is truly is a colorful example of engaging our larger community in the wonderful world of quilting!