To get an understanding of EBHQ we have included
two articles from the July 25-28, 1984 Special Edition of
The Friendship Knot.
The first articles is a history of the guild as related by some members.
The second article describes an early symposium sponsored by the guild.
Founded in 1978, East Bay Heritage Quilters is a nonprofit organization
committed to preserving and continuing the traditions, culture,
and history of quilting, sponsoring and supporting
quilting activities, and contributing to the growth and
knowledge of quilting techniques, textiles, and patterns through
our meetings and exhibits.
A striking feature of EBHQ is how fast it grew up and how much
it accomplished in its infancy.
Helen Goeriz, president for EBHQ's first two years, and other founding
members recall the group's early days.
The guild began with the purpose of mounting a quilt show to benefit
the Fir Branch of Children's Hospital Medical Center in Oakland.
Helen went to the newly opened American Quilt Museum in San Jose
to ask about borrowing frames for the show.
She spoke with Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association's Sylvia Morre, who
shared her group's bylaws and gave advice on how to incorporate.
A handful of East Bay women made up a steering committee.
The name East Bay Heritage Quilters was chosen to reflect the
geographic location of the group and a historical perspective.
Each contributed $12 in dues to get a treasure started.
They then printed 1,000 copies of the first newsletter announcing the
initial meeting in June, 1978, and sent them to students
of Roberta Horton, Glendora Hutson, and Hope Hightower,
who had been giving quilting classes through adult education.
The first meeting was held at Kensington Youth Hut and brought 200 women;
150 became the charter members.
Other activities in the first months included working out the tax
status, renting a Post Office box, adopting the Friendship Knot
as the group's logo and the name of the newsletter, developing the
bylaws and two-year staggered terms for officers, surveying the
membership for program ideas and developing monthly programs,
and finding a meeting place — Kensington's First Unitarian Church.
Jan Inouye and Peggy Kitchen designed a banner with the Friendship Knot,
which Adele Ingraham appliquéd.
While board members were learning to work together, keep on top of
paperwork, and stabilize finances, planning continued for the
quilt show.
This first show, directed by Glendora Hutson, ran October 7 and 8, 1978,
at the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland.
More than 3,000 people attended "Quilts: An American History," and
impressive display of 117 quilts which provided a textile chronicle
of 200 years of American quiltmaking.
EBHQ membership, now numbering close to 700, includes professional and
amateur quiltmakers who are artists, fine sewers, beginners, and old
hands at quilting.
Some experiment with fabric, color, and techniques to create
exciting art works.
Others make traditional patterns into bedcovers for their families, as did
their foremothers.
Some don't make quilts, but love them, and
perhaps collect them for their beauty and the stories they
tell or the graphic impact they make.
All agree that quilts are an important part of their lives and that
EBHQ brings together those who
want to share their skills, knowledge,
and the enjoyment of quilts and quiltmaking.
— Helen Goeriz, Janet Shore, Carol Schwarts, Anne Ito, Harriet Stull,
Dorothy Annesser, and Dawn Moser contributed to this history
When East Bay Heritage Quilters was founded six years ago, we dreamed of sponsoring a symposium
for the benefit of our members.
"Growth Through Diversity" represents the fulfillment of that dream.
The symposium reflects three major goals.
First, we wanted to host the symposium in a tranquil setting
where our members could participate either as boarders
or commuters.
Second, we wished to showcase the works of our
members and others in an established gallery.
Third, we wanted to bring together quilters
and teacher from all parts of the world; symposium
participants are coming from Europe, Africa,
and Asia as well as North America.
This symposium is not the work of one person, but the result of the efforts of many of our
members; particularly the symposium steering committee, which has been
meeting monthly for two and a half years.
Special thanks go to the following: Roberta Horton for all her help; Mary
Mashuta for organizing the two fashion shows and members' studio tour;
Carolyn Hartsough for coordinating publicity and producing the brochure;
Mary Schoenfeldt for contributing graphics; Betty Kisbey for using her
computer expertise to handle the immense job of
registration; Joyce Williams for arranging transportation for the symposium presenters
and minibuses on campus for participants; Lucy Hilty for coordinating work on
the donation quilts; Kris Volker for organizing the Merchants Mall; Mabry Benson for keeping
the books; Dawn Moser for making arrangements for the Afro-American quilt
exhibit at Kaiser Center; and Marilyn Salmi for recording the minutes
of our meetings.
To these and the many other EBHQ members who worked on the symposium, thank you for making
the dream real.
— Ann Ito and Janet Shore
