The results of a year’s work just went up on the wall for everyone to admire. Erika Hessheimer, the manager of the Kaua‘i Singer store in Lihu‘e, just put up two quilts that demonstrate what students in the Quilt Block
The results of a year’s work just went up on the wall for everyone to admire.
Erika Hessheimer, the manager of the Kaua‘i Singer store in Lihu‘e, just put up two quilts that demonstrate what students in the Quilt Block A Month program can accomplish in a year’s time.
“It’s relatively simple, and inexpensive,” Hessheimer said.
Students start out with a $10 quilt block, and if they complete the block within 30 days, they get the next block for $5 until the year is over.
The 2009 program starts in February, Hessheimer said, and interested people should stop by the store located on Kuhio Highway to get an idea of what they can expect to get from the program.
“People can call, but it’s better if they come in because then they can see for themselves what is involved,” she said.
A party for all of the students in the 2008 program will take place at the Kaua‘i Singer store later this month and at that time, Hessheimer will get an idea of how many of the students in the 2008 program finished their quilts.
This year’s program will have a more limited enrollment, Hessheimer said, “Last year, we started with 55 students, but because we’re going to limit classes to just the morning hours, we’re going to try and limit the program to 45 students.”
The quilter of 12 years, who doubles as the manager of the Singer store, said when students enroll, they start out with simple squares that get progressively more complex as they learn the different quilting techniques.
The Quilt Block A Month program is just one of the ways Kaua‘i Singer encourages sewing machine owners to get the most out of their machines.
“We just want to keep people sewing,” Hessheimer said. “Of those who sign up for the Quilt Block A Month program, at least 70 percent are doing blocks, and of those, at least 60 percent will finish a quilt.”
For many quilters, machine quilting is a way to quilt those tops that seem to go together faster than they can be hand quilted, states the Quilt.com Web site.
For others, machine quilting is a means of self expression. Machine quilting can range from an almost invisible stitch outlining the quilt blocks to a combination of threads and stitches creating a one-of-a-kind work of art.
That could be applied to a large quilt by Hessheimer that was put up on the store’s wall over the weekend.
“It’s so complex, she used a computer to help design it,” said one of the Kaua‘i Singer clerks.
Hessheimer said during the program, she creates a variety of squares so students can get an idea of what they can do with the materials.
“It can be simple, or can get complex,” she said.
She said the students have a lot of say in how the program works, and before the 2009 program gets underway in February, they’ve already decided that this year’s theme will be purple and green.
During the course of the year, Hessheimer said the store has gotten some contributions from Quilt.com. These are usually distributed to the Quilt Block A Month students through random drawings.
Additionally, she said the students can use the machines that are available at the store.
“We don’t want to needle customers,” said Kaua‘i Singer clerk LuAnne Smith. “We just want to keep them in stitches.”
Hessheimer said the store has also worked with its customers in creating several quilt block projects, including one where customers could create a quilt block for quilts destined for military personnel stationed overseas.
“We have enough for several quilts,” Hessheimer said. “We need people to help sew them into quilts. Hopefully, the sooner, the better.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
