About the Guild
Today
If you were to ask members of the Ninigret Quilters Guild what they liked best about quilting, chances are there would be many different answers. Some are drawn to precision, others to free form design. Many enjoy traditional patterns while some members are drawn to contemporary challenges. One of the best things about the art of quilting is the way that individuals can find their own style while absorbing the talents of others in an enthusiastic atmosphere.
While the content of the meetings vary, the guild business is always discussed first. The president welcomes members and asks for reports from the officers and committee heads.
Show and Tell is next, a highlight for many, as we get to see what our friends have been working on. Then, most months, a presenter will follow. The programming committee invites expert quilters from near and far to show us quilts and perhaps to demonstrate some new techniques.
Members go home enthused and ready to work on new projects—or maybe even to finish some.
History
On October 28, 1981 a new club was formed. Thirteen women met in a church in Westerly, RI to share their common interest in the craft of quilting. The art and joy of quilting lay dormant for decades after WWII, and not until the 1960’s was there a resurgence in quilting.
At the second meeting, members discussed different options for the club’s name. Jonnycake was one suggestion, but when the votes were counted, “Ninigret Quilters” was chosen. Ninigret was the name of a Niantic Indian Chief who occupied Watch Hill during the 1600’s. The goal was to select a name with a local presence.
Within one year the original group grew to 63 members. They were enthusiastic and productive and were able to have their first quilt show in August. Members remember that it was very successful.
In 1992, Ninigret Quilters Guild was incorporated as a non profit organization whose mission was to provide educational opportunities and to revive the art of quilting.
Today our mission is more broad. We view our guild as an immersion in a quilting experience of learning, sharing, sewing and reaching out to the community and other quilters.
Though we continue to be homebased in Westerly, our meetings are held in nearby Charlestown, Rhode Island. As of 2005, we have over 100 members of all levels of ability. Quilting is the thread that binds us together, as it did from the start, nearly 25 years ago.