Amish Quilting Service: Our Quilters

Quilting and Community Life
Some 30-40 very experienced Amish/Mennonite women quilt for us. Many have been quilting for us for more than a dozen years. To be chosen to quilt for us the quilter must first submit a sample of her quilting. If she meets our standards of excellent hand quilting we will then give her a small piece to quilt. If she follows the instructions precisely and returns the finished piece in the time required she then becomes eligible to join our rank of fine quilters.

The quilters are geographically widespread, living from New York west to Montana. They quilt individually in their homes, working in quilting along with the daily chores of raising the children, caring for friends and their community. Many supplement their family incomes by quilting and in many cases, quilting is their sole source of income.

Sometimes "getting ready for church", attending funerals and weddings in faraway communities, taking care of disabled family members, takes precedence over quilting. When early spring comes and then through the fall harvest, gardening takes up much of their time, raising fruits and vegetables for freezing and canning as well as for immediate use. And yet our quilters are almost always able to return your finished quilt to you in just twelve weeks!