Williamson: Plenty of jelly rolls at quilt camp

There were no campfires or s’mores at the quilt camp held recently by the Winner’s Circle 4-H Club in Portales, but there were plenty of jelly rolls to go around (more on that in a moment), and a downright impressive collection of beautifully hand-crafted projects to show for the effort.

Betty Williamson

A bit of good news

Two of the “campers” — sisters Kimberly and Emily Singleterry of Portales — showed me the quilts they finished during a week spent hunched over sewing machines, cutting tables, and ironing boards in the McAlister Room of the Jake Lopez Building at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds.

Kimberly is 14, and Emily is12. Neither had machine-sewed before, much less quilted, and yet under the guidance of Amber McAlister of Nazareth, Texas, (“a sewing ninja,” according to Emily), they both completed twin-bed sized quilts last week.

The Singleterry sisters were joined by four other members of their 4-H club and their club leader Micah Thompson, as well as “two grandmas and a couple of visitors,” Emily said, a mix of experienced seamstresses and first-timers.

The majority of the group did “jelly roll race” quilts, which I was somewhat disappointed to learn had nothing whatsoever to do with baked goods, but rather involves ridiculously long strips of fabric (“116-feet long,” according to Kimberly) that are magically transformed (it’s all magic to me) into symmetrical quilt tops.

Amber was back for her fourth consecutive year of offering quilt camp for members of this 4-H club. She’s in familiar territory: Her husband, Blake, grew up in Roosevelt County, and the room where the camp was held is named for Blake’s late dad, Floyd McAlister, a former Roosevelt County Agent.

First-time campers were on less familiar ground. When camp got under way, “we had no idea what we were going to do,” Emily said. While she not initially ecstatic about idea of a week of intensive sewing, she quickly fell in love with the process, and was soon spending her spare moments piecing together scraps abandoned by other participants.

Amber said she loves working with young quilters because “they really have no fear. You give them directions, and they hop behind their machines, and take off.

“I think most people think we are crazy when we advertise ‘start to finish in a week’,” Amber said, “but seeing all of those little pieces become a quilt top, then seeing that quilt top become quilted, and then seeing that quilt finished off with a binding is something special. And when it is all done by your own hands, it is spectacular.”

Most of these lovely creations will be vying for ribbons at the Roosevelt County Fair in August. I’m glad I don’t have to pick the winner.

Betty Williamson suspects she would have done better at quilt camp than basketball camp. You may reach her at:

[email protected]