North Channel Sentinel - News
A Widow’s Hobby
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| ABOVE: The Adams family in Washington, D.C. July 10. From left, Judy Johnson (eldest daughter), Susie Adams (second daughter), Noah Dawlearn (son of Nancy, the youngest daughter), Barbara Adams, Lucas Johnson, Sheriden Johnson, and U.S. Rep. Gene Green in the back. INSET TOP LEFT: A copy of the Quilter’s Newsletter in which Barbara’s quilt appears. |
By DAVID TAYLOR
Late on a Saturday night in August of last year, North Shore resident Barbara Adams received the fateful call that her 42-year-old daughter Nancy had died suddenly.
A life-long Episcopalian, she immediately turned to her faith to sustain her in the wake of the tragedy.
“You never expect to ever have to bury your child,” she said. Adams has buried two.
Just three years earlier, she had endured another difficulty in losing her husband, the Rev. Lee Adams. Life was difficult without a mate, but she believed she had found peace.
In the early days following the death of her daughter, she was surrounded by her church family and close friends. But as many of them returned home, she still had a hole in her heart.
Alone, she found solace in one of her hobbies—quilting.
“It helped me keep my mind busy and to focus on something else,” she said.
She not only used the quilt as a respite for her mind, but the project became a dedication to her daughter. Now that quilt has been featured in the national magazine, Quilter’s Newsletter, in an article by renowned quilter Carol Doak.
“There was a new book that Carol (Doak) had just come out with and in thumbing through it, I came across these Mariner’s Compass Stars.”
The United States Star, Adams said, had an example of one, and off in the corner there was an alternative color.
“Because it was red, white and blue and my den is the same colors, I jumped on it,” she said.
For about two weeks, Adams spent two to three hours per day piecing the quilt together.
Shortly after the boxes were pieced together, she took it to her friend, Monta Horner, who lives in Liberty.
“I know her from our membership at the Crosby Quilt Guild,” said Adams.
Adams has always been satisfied with Horner’s work, saying she leaves a lot of the stitching design to her.
Once it was finished, Adams picked it up and finished up the project by placing the edging around the 47-inch by 47-inch quilt which she named “Sharing Spirit.”
The project now finished, she took it with her to the Quilter’s Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston to show to Doak.
“I was going to take a class from her at the convention and I took it with me,” said Adams.
Doak was so impressed with the work and the colors that she hung it on the wall and took photos of it.
Following the convention, she received a call that Doak was going to do an article in the Quilter’s Newsletter on the Mariner’s Compass Stars and asked quilters around the nation to submit photos of their work.
Adams, who has been quilting for more than 10 years, reminded Doak that she had taken photos of hers and from there on, it was a near done deal.
“I didn’t know that it would be in the magazine until I opened it up and saw it there,” said the ecstatic quilter.
Debbie Lout, who is president of the Crosby Guild, said “It is quite an honor to be chosen.”
“To my knowledge, she is the first that I know of that has been published in a national magazine from our group.”
Adams attends the Crosby Guild instead of the North Channel Guild because North Channel is on the same night she has church choir.
“We meet on the second Monday of each month at the Brethren Church in Crosby,” said Lout, “and we begin with refreshments and a social time at 6:30 p.m. and then the program is at 7.”
The art of stitching the pattern, fabrics and batting together during Colonial times was mostly reserved for the more wealthy class, but has found a huge resurgence in rural America.
The largest convention in Houston is the Quilter’s Convention averaging upwards of 70,000 each year.
Adams said there are clubs in virtually every area of the county including Dayton, Lakeview, Baytown, Alvin, North Channel, and Kingwood.
More than 20 area shops stock supplies for the quilters.
“We are looking for younger members to keep this going,” said Lout. “Some of the granddaughters and daughters of our members are now in the guild.”
Adams passion for the hobby and for her daughter fit nicely with the finished product.
On the back of the quilt is an inscription that read, “The piecing was my therapy after the sudden death of my youngest daughter, Nancy. August, 2007.”
A life-long Episcopalian, she immediately turned to her faith to sustain her in the wake of the tragedy.
“You never expect to ever have to bury your child,” she said. Adams has buried two.
Just three years earlier, she had endured another difficulty in losing her husband, the Rev. Lee Adams. Life was difficult without a mate, but she believed she had found peace.
In the early days following the death of her daughter, she was surrounded by her church family and close friends. But as many of them returned home, she still had a hole in her heart.
Alone, she found solace in one of her hobbies—quilting.
“It helped me keep my mind busy and to focus on something else,” she said.
She not only used the quilt as a respite for her mind, but the project became a dedication to her daughter. Now that quilt has been featured in the national magazine, Quilter’s Newsletter, in an article by renowned quilter Carol Doak.
“There was a new book that Carol (Doak) had just come out with and in thumbing through it, I came across these Mariner’s Compass Stars.”
The United States Star, Adams said, had an example of one, and off in the corner there was an alternative color.
“Because it was red, white and blue and my den is the same colors, I jumped on it,” she said.
For about two weeks, Adams spent two to three hours per day piecing the quilt together.
Shortly after the boxes were pieced together, she took it to her friend, Monta Horner, who lives in Liberty.
“I know her from our membership at the Crosby Quilt Guild,” said Adams.
Adams has always been satisfied with Horner’s work, saying she leaves a lot of the stitching design to her.
Once it was finished, Adams picked it up and finished up the project by placing the edging around the 47-inch by 47-inch quilt which she named “Sharing Spirit.”
The project now finished, she took it with her to the Quilter’s Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston to show to Doak.
“I was going to take a class from her at the convention and I took it with me,” said Adams.
Doak was so impressed with the work and the colors that she hung it on the wall and took photos of it.
Following the convention, she received a call that Doak was going to do an article in the Quilter’s Newsletter on the Mariner’s Compass Stars and asked quilters around the nation to submit photos of their work.
Adams, who has been quilting for more than 10 years, reminded Doak that she had taken photos of hers and from there on, it was a near done deal.
“I didn’t know that it would be in the magazine until I opened it up and saw it there,” said the ecstatic quilter.
Debbie Lout, who is president of the Crosby Guild, said “It is quite an honor to be chosen.”
“To my knowledge, she is the first that I know of that has been published in a national magazine from our group.”
Adams attends the Crosby Guild instead of the North Channel Guild because North Channel is on the same night she has church choir.
“We meet on the second Monday of each month at the Brethren Church in Crosby,” said Lout, “and we begin with refreshments and a social time at 6:30 p.m. and then the program is at 7.”
The art of stitching the pattern, fabrics and batting together during Colonial times was mostly reserved for the more wealthy class, but has found a huge resurgence in rural America.
The largest convention in Houston is the Quilter’s Convention averaging upwards of 70,000 each year.
Adams said there are clubs in virtually every area of the county including Dayton, Lakeview, Baytown, Alvin, North Channel, and Kingwood.
More than 20 area shops stock supplies for the quilters.
“We are looking for younger members to keep this going,” said Lout. “Some of the granddaughters and daughters of our members are now in the guild.”
Adams passion for the hobby and for her daughter fit nicely with the finished product.
On the back of the quilt is an inscription that read, “The piecing was my therapy after the sudden death of my youngest daughter, Nancy. August, 2007.”
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