Cynthia Schwartz
The PebbleCreek Quilting Club celebrates and displays the fabric creations of Cheryl McGovern and Bobbie Wagner in the Creative Arts Center (CAC).
Thirty years ago, Cheryl McGovern inherited her great-grandmother’s 1920 bedroom set. She commented, “It screamed, ‘I need a quilt!’ I got a book and learned how to hand quilt. I was enamored with the art of hand quilting. For 15 years, I created quilts without using a sewing machine.” After moving to PebbleCreek, Cheryl joined the PebbleCreek Quilting Club and changed her philosophy when she admitted that a sewing machine could be a very useful tool. Now, Cheryl is spoiled. Her house has two quilting rooms, several sewing machines, a long arm, and “lots of quilting toys.”
Cheryl teaches Quilting 101. Her class encourages new quilters to learn the basic quilting skills and building blocks so that they embark on their own quilting journey and have fun. Cheryl donates many of her quilts to charities. Her latest projects are going to missionaries who will distribute quilts to families in Ukraine. Another project is the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati. She commented, “When my granddaughter was in ICU, someone placed a small quilt at the foot of her bed. It brought so much joy to our family. Since then, I have donated dozens of quilts to the hospital.” Cheryl has created lap quilts for terminally ill people. “A quilt can bring warmth and comfort to a person. The quilt then comforts a surviving family member or friend. It’s a gift that keeps giving.”
Bobbie Wagner began sewing Barbie doll clothes in the fifth grade. Following her mother’s seamstress path, Bobbie became a professional dressmaker. She commented, “By the age of 18, I learned that I could get paid for sewing. I was making money! I sewed wedding, bridesmaid, and prom dresses.” Bobbie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics vocational education from the University of North Dakota, which allowed her to teach students in middle school, high school, and at the local two-year college. Bobbie signed up for an Eleanor Burns “Quilt in a Day” workshop, and she used this knowledge to help her students choose fabric and colors for projects in their clothing class.
Bobbie’s joy is still sewing. She is “hooked on piecing quilt tops.” She goes back to her roots—finding fabrics that work together and challenging herself to find different patterns and techniques. Bobbie does not like repetition, which is why she is working on a “Dear Jane” quilt. There are 169 five-inch blocks, and each one is different from the others. Bobbie also creates works of art with wool hand appliqué. She commented, “You can sew on your own, but the fellowship with others at the CAC just makes it so much more fun!”
Thank you, Cheryl and Bobbie, for sharing your talents and gifts with your fellow quilters.