JAY — For decades, a local organization has been showing its care for community members one stitch at a time.

Country Square Quilters, which formed March 9, 1989, meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from September through July, usually from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Bean’s Corner Baptist Church, 17 Chesterville Road, which is Route 156.

Following the business meeting Feb. 13, members took time to show projects they are working on or have completed.

Kathy Bragg of Wilton held up a quilt composed of diagonal strips of cloth with each square bordered by a pink, patterned fabric. Her other project used solid brown, white and an orange pattern to highlight horse scenes.

Diane Low of Wilton shared the baby quilt she made using blocks of brown and light blue to border a center featuring cars and bicycles.

Lynette Hinkley of Wilton showed a baby quilt she is working on that used the same pattern as Low’s but with white blocks and a patterned fabric at the corners, using a fabric with various sheep in the center.

Marie Hodgdon of Mount Vernon shared several projects. One quilt had butterflies, two others had large flowers while a fourth featured ascending, overlapping squares in shades of blue with a white patterned background.

Carol Boynton of Chesterville showed two quilts using the same pattern as several of the others: one using shades of blue, the other gray and cream.

Sharon Huff of Jay was working on several projects. One featured teddy bears on a yellow background, another featured cowgirl scenes while a third had a purple border and several scenes of a little girl with animals or flowers. She wondered if the girl might have been from a former cartoon or book.

Deb Breton of Jay showed her quilt made of cream, red and blue.

Barbara Black of Wilton shared a colorful quilt and a Christmas table runner, each featuring three dimensional flowers at the center of each block.

Sabine Tosch of New Sharon explained how she placed the leaves on her piece with three large flowers in it. She is also learning to appliqué and shared two Christmas stockings she had used the technique on.

Chris Leeman of Farmington showed two twin size quilts and a smaller one. She does the final quilting for group projects that are donated to organizations in Maine. It can take up to nine hours to complete each one, depending on the size, she said.

Carolyn McLaughlin of Wilton showed her king size quilt in gray and white with a white backing.

Hodgdon spoke about the project for the morning, making a runner with flower blocks. Each step was outlined on a board. Each block included a flower center, four large petals, two leaf pieces and 11 border pieces.

Because of the leaf, the finished block is not square and can only go one way in the runner, she said.

Sewing machines were set up and stitching began for most of the group.

“We have so much fun,” Hodgdon said.

“Sometimes it’s nothing but laughter,” Hinkley said.

Members admitted some projects are more challenging than others.

“We all had a hard time doing the three dimensional flower one,” Hinkley said.

Boynton said she threw hers away.

This year, member plan to make first aid bags, placemats, flowers, runners, three-yard charity quilts, fabric cards, shelter bags, pillowcases for hospitals, charity quilt kits, butterfly quilts, star banner and holiday-themed items.

In 2023, the group made and donated 57 items to 12 groups: locally to Bean’s Corner Baptist Church and its giving tree program, plus fire victims in Jay; Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties, Franklin Memorial Hospital and the warming center at St. Joe’s Catholic Church in Farmington. Others were for Safe Voices, Umbagog Dialysis Center, Western Maine Community Action and the Fire Department in Wilton. Maine Medical Center’s breast awareness program in Portland and Beacon Hospice in Augusta also received quilted items.

For more information, call Hinkley at 207-491-7018.

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