Bits & Pieces

A group of local quilters —Bits & Pieces — are “sew” excited they are able to give back to the community by doing what they love — quilting.

Along with their sister organization — Valencia Valley Quilters — the members of Bits & Pieces help with community service projects by assembling and sewing quilts and give them out in hopes it will comfort those who receive them.

Donna Baca, the group’s facilitator, said during the weekly gatherings, group members help each other with tips and tricks for cutting fabric and assembling quilt squares.

The group meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday at the Don Jose Dolores Cordova Cultural Center in Jarales. The members not only collaborate and work on quilts every week, but they also socialize and learn different skill sets from one another.

The difference between Bits & Pieces and Valencia Valley Quilters, Baca said, is B&P is a working group, while VVQ, a decade-old teaching group, meets on the fourth Thursday and second Saturday of the month to teach patterns and have a lot of demonstrations.

“A lot of us are part of that group, too,” Baca said. “It’s kinds of a hodgepodge.”

During a recent midweek gathering, about a dozen women are busy at worktables and sewing machines. On the tables are needles, thread, lots of colorful fabric and quilts of all shapes and sizes.

With a goal to donate as many quilts as possible to those in need of comfort in the community, the members don’t focus on “big fancy patterns” but rather good, quality quilts.

“People have donated a lot of material, and we do what’s called scrap quilting, which is why we called ourselves Bits & Pieces,” Baca said. “

Sylvia Storey started with Valencia Valley Quilters, and said the lure of “community quilting” led her to join Bits & Pieces. The idea of being able to help people in the community with what they’ve created is why Storey joined the group.

“Some will make the tops, and there will be a few of us doing the batting, and others will finish them off,” Storey says. “It’s just a community work group effort — everybody helps.”

The members of Bits & Pieces are stitching together stories, memories and a vibrant sense of community. Most of the members are lifelong quilting enthusiasts, and are bursting with creativity and a desire to help.

“We donate a lot of quilts to the Children’s Cancer Fund at UNM, but otherwise, we try and keep the donations here in Valencia County,” Baca explained.

“In 2024, Bits & Pieces donated about 160 quilts, including 60 mini quilts for head start students, beads of courage bags to the Children’s Cancer Fund, neck coolers for military troops, 114 pillow cases and backpacks for people in hospitals, on dialysis or for anyone in need.

They were also asked by Carrie Tingley Hospital for bandana-style bibs for patients, and made about 270 preemie blankets from flannel material. They’ve also donated in the past to Valencia Shelter Services, CYFD, La Vida Felicidad and wheelchair caddies, stockings and lap quilts to the Veterans Administration Hospital.

When the tragic mass shooting occurred in Uvalde, Texas, one member was going to the Lone Star State and volunteered to take quilts to those in need of comfort.

“She was willing to take them with her — a full trunk load of quilts and other stuff,” Storey said. “We’ve also taken them to other people who have been victims of tornados and even fires.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we interacted with one another, these local quilters decided to do what they do best and sewed thousands of masks for first responders, medical personnel and anyone who needed a mask.

The members of Bits & Pieces goes beyond the threads and fabrics; adding not just color but a touch of their collective spirit to the community. Comprising 30-40 members (with about 12-15 regular attendees), this quilting community offers more than just a creative outlet — it’s a testament to the enduring power of art and connection.

Storey, who has quilted for most of her life, said while she does quilt at home, most of the projects they’re working on are created at the center.

“We’re here for several hours, and we just pick what we want to work on and work on it,” she said. “Not only are we helping people, but it’s a social gathering, kind of like therapy in some ways.

“Every time we come in we learn something different,” Storey said. “We don’t teach sewing; we don’t have the time to teach a beginner. We hope people will come in with sewing skills to help do what we’re doing.”

Sue Henington, another member, has been quilting off and on for more than 50 years, beginning when her sons were newborns.

“I love doing stuff for the children in the community,” Henington said. “To know that some little kid picked one up that I made and fell in love with it makes me feel good.”

Over the years, friendships have blossomed within Bits & Pieces, and the group has become more than just a working group.

“It’s so fun to be able to work with the ladies,” Baca said. “Everyone has their own special skills — some like to sew, others don’t like to sew that much so they’ll iron, cut or tie the quilts. It’s just a fun way to help the community.”

Quilting, which as been traced back to at least medieval times, is a hobby for the older generation, but many members of Bits & Pieces have made it a point to pass on the craft to their children and grandchildren.

While the group has plenty of donated fabric, thread and other items used to make quilts, Bits & Pieces are in need of monetary donations to purchase batting, which has increased in price over the years.

To make a monetary donation, call Donna Baca at 505-730-3132.