A stitch in time — Applique quilting

The days of calmly sitting by the fire stitching a quilt are long gone. With the abundance of stores that sell quilts and the expense of materials, many people have opted to buy rather than make quilts.

However, for Jeanette White, co-owner of Piper's Quilts & Comforts in Sugar House, the art of quiltmaking is very much alive. White has a passion for it and is seeking to bring back what is fast becoming a lost art.

White specializes in a quilting technique called applique or applied fabric design, which can be done by hand or machine. She says many quilting stores are terrified of it, because they don't have anyone who specializes in it.

One of the more common quilting trends today is piecing, or making geometric fabric designs with pieces of material. However, White still prefers applique.

"Applique is the love of my heart. I've been doing it for a long time," she said. "Teaching applique is what really sets us apart and makes us different from other quilting stores in the valley."

Since White loves this dwindling part of quiltmaking, she is seeking to instill it in others, as well. White and Erin Hamilton, her daughter-in-law and co-owner, have designed kits of the different quilt patterns displayed in their store and offer classes to go along with the kits, so customers wanting to make those particular quilts have the necessary materials and instruction. Classes are taught in the afternoons and evenings. Helping others learn quilting techniques is one of the store's goals.

"We're much more interested in teaching people how to make quilts than to sell them. We do sell them, but that's not our primary goal," Hamilton said.

For example, one of the quilts displayed in the store, located at 1944 S. 1100 East, is called Botanica. It is made up of 12 blocks. Each 24-inch-square block has a different floral design, made with fine-hand applique. Each month Piper's features a block of the month and provides a kit with all the necessary materials to complete it and a class to work on it.

By the end of the year, those taking the class will have made an heirloom-quality quilt without a lot of headache or expense. Kits can be purchased separately for $20 each or all at once for $192.

White refuses to tell her customers or class members that something is beyond their skill level.

"I don't like to tell people that quiltmaking is hard, because it's not or that something is too difficult for them," she said.