The Story Behind The Quilts

By Martha Shogren

Long ago and far away, The Bay Area Storytelling Festival Committee, under the impetus of Janet Hellerich, decided to produce a storytelling quilt as a fund-raiser.

The first quilt was produced for our 4th Festival, which took place at Mills College. Most of the Committee members plus storytelling quilters were commandeered to make a square. Being overly ambitious, as always, we decided to produce a queen-sized bedspread! Even the men joined in the effort; both Joel ben Izzy and Ken Haven made a square.

    The quilt turned out to be a great success! So the second quilt was begun. It, too, was to be a queen-sized bedspread, but became a somewhat smaller quilt and smaller combinations of pieces when Janet was unable to complete the larger quilt.

    Two valiant quilters took over responsibility for the festival quilt: Elizabeth Overmyer and Peggy Tollefson. They reduced the size of the quilt to a lap quilt with nine squares and the joyous possibility  that any square over nine would become a bonus square. A wonderful teaser or teasers to lure people into buying more tickets. After all, if you couldn’t win the whole quilt, you might win a square! Since then we have had at least one or more bonus squares to put in the mix each year.

    The quilts have taken on many themes over the years. Under their guidance, stories about the four elements: earth, fire, wind and water; strong women; transformation; creatures; creation; giant protagonists; connections with the earth have found their way into a quilt.

    After ten years of festival quilting, Elizabeth and Peggy called it quits. Not abandoning the quilt itself, but the coordination of the quilt and the final piecing and quilting. Since they said, “Quits,” they have made squares and helped with the quilting for the quilts that have followed.

    Now it became the task of Pam Brown, Linda Hanes and Martha Shogren to coordinate the quilt and come up with themes. Pam and Martha had been in charge of providing meals for the headliners and committee during the festival weekend for some time, hence the first quilt theme: Food. That was followed by Music, a subject of much discussion while the committee prepares the festival schedule. Next was Heroes. We had already done strong women, it was time to give the men a chance. In honor of our 20th Festival, the theme was Celebrations.

2006 began a trek through the continents beginning with Africa.

    It is as impossible to run out of themes for quilts as it is to run out of stories from around the world to use as quilt squares. The enthusiasm for the quilt never wavers and it is still the major fundraiser for the festival. If you love storytelling, love quilts and want the festival to continue, remember to check out the quilt and buy some tickets.

    Who knows, you may win the whole quilt or one of the bonus squares! A wonderful memory of a weekend of storytelling to warm the heart and soul.

Quilters' Names:

Notes from Martha Shogren: Many on the list have done more than one. Many have done squares for almost all.

First and foremost, Janet Hellerich should be mentioned. She is the one who suggested that we make a quilt to raffle and put it all together. She was one of the charter members of BASF Committee and was the original Registration queen. She was a consummate children's librarian, storyteller,  quilter and teddy bear maker. We miss her and remember her fondly.

Elizabeth Overmyer and Peggy Tollefson should have special mention because they were in charge of the first ten lap quilts that were raffled off.

Pam Brown, Linda Hanes and Martha Shogren took over from them in 2002 and have done the last five lap quilts.

Trivia: Only once - that very first quilt - have two squares of the same story been done. It was Noah's Ark. One done by Joel Ben Izzy; one by Linda Yemoto. We put them both in since they were really quite different in interpretation. Some of the same stories have been repeated but not on the same quilt. The themes evoked the same stories for another quilt, e.g. The Woman who flummoxed the fairies which is on the Strong Women quilt andthe Food quilt.  Little One-Inch which is on the Heroes quilt and on the Asia quilt (2007).

To add names, contribute photos or send flowers, e-mail Martha Shogren.