The Friendship Square Quilt Guild was started in 1981 when a group of women in the Whittier, California area wanted to get together to share their love of quilting. Today, with over 120 members, the guild meets monthly, sponsoring guest speakers on both traditional and modern quilting. Every other year, the guild holds a quilt show at the La Habra Community Center. Their next show is scheduled for March, 2018.
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At Road 2016 showing off their Opportunity Quilt[/caption]
The friendship activities that the guild is most proud of is their community and philanthropic outreach. One of their longstanding projects is with Quilts for Wounded Veterans. Members work together on red, white and blue themed quilts quilts that is part of a nationwide effort to thank wounded veterans for their service. The Marine Corps Family Foundation distributes the quilts to the Veterans Hospital at Camp Pendleton.
Another adopted organization is From Maddi’s Closet which is dedicated to the memory of little Madison Holmes, whose brief life touched so many and continues to inspire others to reach out to children and families who still struggle in search of a cure for pediatric cancer. Guild members make pillowcases and Beads of Courage Bags for children undergoing treatment for cancer. The Beads of Courage Bags are used to store the beads they receive for their courage in undergoing treatment. 
Each December at the guild’s holiday meeting, local non-profit agencies are honored and receive a donation from the guild along with quilts to be used in their programs. Agencies honored last December included Women’s and Children’s Crisis Center, St. Matthaias Episcopal Church, Interfaith Food Center, Salvation Army Transitional Living Center, Rosie’s Garage, and From Maddi’s Closet. 
Friendship Square Quilt Guild is so much more than a love of quilting. It is reaching out in friendship to those less fortunate, providing them warmth and security through quilting.
To learn more about the Friendship Square Quilt Guild, please visit their website.
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Posts Tagged ‘CA’
Meet The Friendship Square Quilt Guild
Monday, September 5th, 2016Honoring the Armed Forces
Saturday, May 17th, 2014Everyone loves a parade.
So why not have a parade not only kick off Road 2014, but also provide the backdrop for a Veterans Presentation? Ten drummers from the Colony High School Titan Regiment led the way for Carolyn and Matt Reese and invited dignitaries that included Ontario, California Mayor, Paul Leon; San Bernardino County Supervisor, Gary Ovitt; and his wife, Sue Ovitt, a Chaffey High School District Board Trustee; as well as representatives from Operation Home Front and Island Batik.![_i4c2887[1]](https://road2ca.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/i4c28871.jpg)
The parade began in the hallway of the Ballroom Pre-function area and turned south into the main Exhibit Hall, ending up right smack dab in the center of the huge hall. Attendees were treated to a drum roll exhibition before the Veterans Presentation started.![_i4c2916[1]](https://road2ca.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/i4c29161.jpg)
Matt Reese handled the Master of Ceremony duties. He introduced the singer for the National Anthem, quilter and musician, Jerry Granata, who offered a rousing acapella rendition of the famed song.![_i4c2914[1]](https://road2ca.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/i4c29141.jpg)
Comments in support of Road to California and the veteran event were offered by Mr. Leon, Mr. Ovitt, and Mr. Kyler Olejnik of Operation Homefront.
Carolyn Reese presented a beautiful patriotic quilt, made from Island Batik fabrics, to recipient Ron Baker, a Vietnam Veteran and volunteer for Operation Homefront.![_i4c2941[1]](https://road2ca.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/i4c29411.jpg)
When the program was completed, the drummers led the party out of the Convention Center.
It was a huge honor for the Colony High School Regiment to be included in the ceremony. Said Tatiana, Co-Drum Captain, “We don’t usually perform for this type of audience. Usually we only perform for teenagers. They (the quilters) were really cool; cheering and dancing.”
Eli, the other Co-Drum Captain, remarked, “It was great to be here, out in the community and get our name out.”
Ninth grader Sergio said, “It was great to make everyone smile.”
The Regiment especially enjoyed meeting the mayor. And because they got all caught up in the “quilt fever” of the show, they offered to make the mayor a quilt out of all their band show tee-shirts!!!
What a festive way to start off this year’s 19th Annual Conference and Showcase!!!
What did you think about all the festivities?]]>
Quilt Stories From the Inland Empire
Thursday, December 6th, 2012 The City of Ontario, California is the location for Road to California. This city really likes quilts and quilting because from December 6, 2012 through January 27, 2013, it’s Ontario Museum of History and Art will be sponsoring a quilt exhibit, Quilt Stories From the Inland Empire. 
Just going to the museum is a real treat. This historic location is a public-private museum operated by the City of Ontario with support from the non-profit Museum of History and Art, Ontario Association. The museum is known for the outstanding exhibits it promotes, including this upcoming quilt themed event.
Visitors to the Quilt Stories From the Inland Empire will be treated to personal expressions, stories, traditional techniques and contemporary themes when they come to view the quilts on exhibit. Not only are the artists representative of the Inland Empire, but so are stories of their quilts. Quilts will range in size, color and shape
along with embellishment, appliqué, style and theme. The quilts feature broad themes including the geography and history of the inland area as well as personal stories and traditional geometric and star patterns. This multi-layered exhibit is guest curated by artist and quilter Theresa Polley-Shellcroft. Polley-Shellcroft has a long history with the museum; she led quilt works in previous years and the “Fan Faire” workshop in 2005. She teaches Art History and Art Education for Victor Valley College, Brandman University and University of Phoenix. Her artwork, quilts and paintings have been exhibited across the country at New York City SoHo and Chelsea galleries’; The American Folk Art Museum, NYC; The Historical Society of Washington, DC; the National Museum of African History, Ohio; and the Anacostia Museum of African American Culture, Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC.
The museum will be hosting a couple of special events in conjunction with the exhibit. An Artist Reception is planned for Friday, December 7, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Visitors can meet and chat with the artists whose work was accepted for the display. A Quilt Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, January 12th from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.. Attendees will receive instruction on quilt patterns and techniques from the guest curator, Theresa Polley-Shellcroft. And on Wednesday, January 23, a Tour and Tea will be presented. Reservations are required for each of these additional free events and can be arranged by contacting the museum.
We love all things quilting so a special exhibit devoted to our favorite pastime is certainly worth checking out.
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