Jolene Adley, left, and Kris Ramos, both of Canton, display some of the quilts they have made throughout the years. The women are members of Grammy’s Choice Quilters, which meets regularly at the Wayside Baptist Church in Livermore. Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times
Kris Ramos and Jolene Adley, who are both members of Grammy’s Choice Quilters, enjoy sharing the knowledge of their craft with family members and friends. In August, the two women volunteered at Canton’s bicentennial in the Historical Society building, where they displayed quilts and talked with other quilt lovers about the art of quilt making and the artists who make them.
Names: Jolene Adley and Kris Ramos
Hometown: Both women are from Canton
Who taught you to quilt and what has kept your interest in the craft?
Jolene: Phyliss Jamison, a 90-year-old member of Grammy’s Choice Quilters, taught me to quilt when I was 58. It is fun to quilt because you can pick a pattern, sew the blocks together, and choose the placement of the blocks that will look the best before sewing the top together. Then I layer the finished top on top of the batting and backing fabric. I like to tie the layers together, finish the edge and put a label on, and you have a finished quilt.
Kris: My mom, Phyllis Lake, taught me to quilt when I was about 27. I enjoy seeing the quilt grow into a finished quilt for family or friends. It is a labor of love.
Do you teach others in your family or your friends to quilt?
Jolene: I have taught some friends, and a young lady who already knew how to sew but wanted to learn to quilt.
Kris: I have taught three of my kids to quilt and one of my daughters-in-law so far. I have several friends I have shown a new pattern or shared a technique I have learned. When my mom was still with us, I would visit and quilt with Mom or one of the kids. Mom commented on one quilt that my son made (as) being so bright that you would have to wear sunglasses to bed.
How much experience with sewing do you need to create a quilt and what do you need for equipment?
Jolene and Kris: You do not need much experience to make a quilt. You will need a sewing machine that has a 1/4-inch foot, a cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutter, quilting pins, cotton thread and a pattern that will tell you how much cotton fabric you need.
If you want to get some practice using your sewing machine, you can sew on lined paper with no thread to see if you can sew a straight line. There are many YouTube videos that will show you how to use a rotary cutter, mat and ruler.
Why did you join Grammy’s Choice Quilting and what are some of the benefits of joining a quilting group?
Jolene: I joined Grammy’s Choice Quilters about 10 years ago. We meet at Wayside Baptist Church in Livermore the first and third Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Belonging to a group of quilters you can learn new patterns and techniques from more experienced quilters.
Kris: I joined Grammy’s Choice Quilters about 8 years ago. After retiring from homeschooling my children, I had time for my interests. It is great to have others to meet who have a common interest. If I can’t decide which color may look best, I have friendly opinions from experienced ladies. If you want more information about our GCQ group, call Jolene at 597-2168 or come to a meeting where you can get lots of help.
What is your favorite pattern and why?
Jolene: I really like the Disappearing Four Patch. It is easy to sew together and easy to teach someone. You sew four 7-inch blocks together to form a square. Then cut 1 1/4 inches away from each side of all the seams. Then take what you cut and turn it so that opposite colors meet and sew them back together.
Kris: I like the Lover’s Knot. It is the first quilt that two of my children made for their first quilt. When you make the blocks there are two different groups that you make, so that two of your fabrics make what looks like a knot; one vertical and one horizontal. I could say my favorite pattern is the one I am working on at the time.
What is a Quilt of Valor and who has Granny’s Choice Quilters made these quilts for?
Jolene and Kris: A Quilt of Valor is a red, white and blue quilt that is machine or hand quilted (and awarded to a service member or veteran who has been touched by war. See the Quilts of Valor website at www.qovf.org for more information).
One of our GCQ members made a block called Cross Roads. We all liked it, so we used that pattern for our first two Quilts of Valor. When the quilt was done, Donna Brookings, the head of Quilts of Valor for Maine, sent us a certificate, a quilt label, and a paper to read to the veteran to say “thank you for your service.”
The QOV award paper also tells the veteran what number the quilt it is. We have made two Quilts of Valor so far to drape over the veterans’ shoulders, wrapping them in the quilts. The first quilt was presented to a high school friend of one of our members. The second one was presented to George Ramos (Kris Ramos’ husband), a Navy veteran, and was number 212,450 given out nationally since 2003. Grammy’s Choice Quilters plan to make more of the special quilts and we like presenting them.
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