If you are interested in official volunteer opportunities with the Amador Valley Quilt Guild, see the Job Descriptions and Volunteer Form for more information. To volunteer on community quilts projects or to donate a display block, please visit the committee tables at the guild meeting or contact the Community Quilts or Display Blocks Chairperson.
Community Quilts:
Community Quilts is an ongoing outreach project of Amador Valley Quilters. Our largest undertaking is to create quilts to be given to various individuals in local charitable organizations. The effort started in 1986, when 16 quilts were given to the Tri-Valley Haven for battered women. Today the project has expanded to 750 quilts given to 13 agencies who serve all ages, from premature babies to our seniors in wheelchairs.
Consult the Quilt Size Guide for appropriate donation guidance.
In December, we celebrate with the recipient organizations at a brunch we host during our general meeting. We meet the agencies’ representatives and have a parade of quilts. For videos of the 2021 ‘Parade of Community Quilts’, follow these links:
Photo Gallery featuring pictures of quilts we have presented to community organizations.
Quilt Donations 2021– A list and description of the agencies who received our quilts.
A dual-fold outreach program that assists with the making of quilt tops for Community Quilts is our quilting class at the Federal Correctional Institution women’s prison in Dublin. AVQ has maintained a presence there for over twenty five years. The program has changed over the years, but interest in quilting among the inmates has never been stronger. They are motivated and eager to learn.
Budding Beginners:
Our successful and fun program “Budding Beginners” began at the Alden Lane “Quilt in the Garden Show” over 8 years ago. Each year AVQ makes up kits of fusible appliqué and 9-patch blocks to teach any new quilters a little bit about quilting. AVQ members help the guest sew the block and explain how a quilt sandwich is made and can be quilted or tied.
Alden Lane’s Quilting in the Garden is annually in September.
Alameda County Fair:
AVQ provides its members the opportunity to volunteer in the Fiber Arts Building where the quilting exhibit is in place. Here we are available to answer questions of the fair attendees and generally have ongoing piecing or quilting at a table in the Fiber Arts Building.
Northern California Quilt Council:
New Quilts of Northern California is accepting entries for an exhibit at the Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on October 13-16, 2022. Exhibit entries are limited to residents of Northern California only. Entry forms due by 8/8/22 and can be downloaded or filled in online on the NCQC website. More information is available on the NCQC website or in this document.
Display Blocks:
AVQ Members are encouraged to make 16” blocks which represent a wide variety of traditional and contemporary blocks. These blocks are displayed at various venues such as libraries, senior citizen facilities, town halls, schools and community displays. They aid in promoting knowledge and appreciation of quilt making as an art form. They are always well received by our viewers and often trigger their memories of quilts long forgotten. A sampling of these display blocks are also on display during guild meetings.
We currently have more than 120 display blocks showcasing a wide variety of styles and techniques. We want to continue growing this collection with newer patterns and styles. Try a new block, a difficult one you only want to make one of, or play with a new technique. No matter what, it will be enjoyed and become a permanent part of AVQ’s display block collection.
For more information and instructions on making a Display Block, please take a look at the Display Block Instruction Form available on our documents page.
The blocks are cataloged and organized by the year in which they were made. They are grouped into sets of about 20-25 per group (Bag). The photographs are organized in “Bags” on the website with title and quilter information. View these photos of AVQ Display Blocks in our Display Blocks photo gallery.
Last Updated: 2/04/2022