The guild’s quarterly retreat is also open to anyone interested in learning the art of quilting.
The art of quilting is alive and well in Plant City, as anyone who enters First Presbyterian Church’s basement over the next few days will learn.
Berry Patch Quilting Guild, a Plant City-based group set to celebrate its 20th anniversary this summer, meets in the basement every Wednesday morning, but also hosts three-day “retreats” there every four months that are open to anyone interested in learning their brand of handiwork. The first such retreat of 2019 starts today, but really kicks into high gear tomorrow and ends Saturday.
The goal is not only to put together intricate, beautiful quilts, but also to get others in the Plant City community to give quilting a shot.
“We are not what I would call a ‘hardcore’ quilt guild. We’re more of a friendship club,” president Cathie Williams said. “We share our knowledge, experience, tips and shortcuts. We teach each other. Our desire is not only to get new members, but also to make sure none of the skill sets of a true quilter are lost in this day and age.”
If anyone ever wondered why Inspire!, a quilting supply shop, needed such a large space downtown, it’s because the quilting scene is quietly thriving in the Tampa Bay area. Women from Plant City, Valrico, Keysville, Seffner, Dover and even Zephyrhills come to town weekly to meet up and sew. The Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Brandon is well-known in Florida quilting circles for its sheer size and organization. Other smaller guilds dot the landscape of the Tampa Bay area from Brooksville to Bradenton.
“It’s one of those things where if you don’t know about it you don’t know about it, but if you do know about it, it’s actually a big community,” longtime member Laurie Johnston said.
Though the Berry Patch Guild doesn’t consider itself “hardcore” or even “formal,” as others in nearby cities are, it currently has 35 members and no plans to set a hard cap on a membership count.
“Most of us are either relatively new quilters, like myself, and we have a few women who are phenomenal quilters and win championships,” Williams said.
The Berry Patch guild prides itself on its commitment to offering one-on-one assistance to its members and regularly features members’ work at art shows like the Florida Strawberry Festival’s, but is also novice-friendly and keeps membership dues down to $25 per member per year.
“As long as you can sew a straight seam and thread a needle, we are willing to teach you the rest,” Williams said.
The ladies plan to spend much of today setting up in the First Presbyterian basement. Tomorrow, the retreat will be active from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and the ladies do plan to enjoy the food truck rally in the evening. They will end the retreat activities by 2 p.m. Saturday.
Anyone interested in joining the guild can contact either Williams or Johnston, or stop by the church’s basement any Wednesday morning. The church is located downtown at 404 W. Reynolds St.
