South Shore Stitchers Quilt Guild

A Brief History

The South Shore Stitchers was created in the fall of 1985 by Peggy Della Porta of Upper Township. She felt there were many people in the area interested in quilting to start a local guild.The club grew quickly and in 2004 reached over 100 members.The purpose of South Shore Stitchers is to preserve the heritage of quilting, be a source of information and inspiration, and be a gathering point for people with a common interest in quilt making.
Meetings are held at the Tuckahoe United Methodist Church, 112 State Highway 49 in Tuckahoe, on the second Monday of each month.Visitors are welcome. Doors open at 6:00 pm, and the meeting begins at 6:30 pmQuilt Shows
The South Shore Stitchers Quilt Show is held every two years during mid-October over three days at the Upper Twp. Community Building in Cape May County, New Jersey. The next show is scheduled for Oct. 16th - 18th, 2026. Show hours Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-3.- For information contact the Guild email: southshorestitchersguild@gmail.com

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Comfort Quilts

The group completes an average of 12 quilts each month.
The group averages from 13 to 17 members attending each month. About 120 individuals participate throughout the year. Almost all of the fabric is donated.Alma Flippen organized the first workshop at the library. Then, in 1994, Merry May started workshops at the Church in Tuckahoe.Workshops have been held ever since, making at least 100 quilts per year.The Comfort Quilts are given to police departments for aid in domestic situations, Shore Memorial Hospital, Health Care and Home Care organizations, fire departments, nursing homes, and anyone who needs one.Monthly workshops: Crazy Lady Stitching is part of the guild. They meet on the fourth Monday of the month from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Linwood Library. They work on their own individual projects and help each other as needed. They share fabrics and trims. They stitch together and socialize. Come join us for a fun time of stitching and fellowship.

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Events

Be sure to Sign Up for the following workshops:
- Wed., April 15: Criss-Cross Apron with a Twist. Bring your UFO quilt TOPS (min. of 40" square), old tablecloths and/or regular fabric to make Mary Mulari's Criss-Cross Apron. It's reversible, has pockets, and has no long strings or ties to get tangled up in the washer. Merry now has about 4 copies of the pattern available ($9) in case you haven't ordered it yet. You will need TWO pieces of fabric, one for each side of the apron, each at least 40" square. This will be at the Upper Twp. Library in Petersburg from 11 am to 3 pm. Class fee is $10. Contact Laurann Cacioppo to sign up: ldcaci@hotmail.com She will provide you with a supply list.
- MONDAY, May 11 at the Tuckahoe Church (date & location change) is the Happy Feet Workshop with Joan Radell from Bucklebee Bags. A $60 deposit will hold your spot for the class; make checks payable to South Shore Stitchers & mail it to Ruth Ann Bosworth at her Woodbury address. The remaining $60 in cash should be brought to the workshop. The fee includes: the class, your main sneaker components (including base in the size you order in advance, tools & eyelets). There is a supply list & a bit of pre-class prep, so please contact Laurann Cacioppo to sign up & get your supply list: ldcaci@hotmail.com You will also need to let us know what shoe size you want to make BY APRIL 17 so Joan can order them.
- Wed., June 17 at the Tuckahoe Church, 9 am to 4 pm; Mini Pumpkin Quilt workshop with Becca Fenstermacher. You will need to have the pattern, fabric and the QCR Ruler. Contact Laurann Cacioppo to sign up: ldcaci@hotmail.com She will provide you with a supply list and ordering information for the pattern & ruler. Class fee is $40 for members, $50 for non-members.Our May meeting will feature Joan Radell who will share her quilting journey with us. Guests will pay $5 to attend the program.Be sure to bring your Bird Blocks to the April meeting for the optional block exchange. Here is a link to the Bird Block Lotto pattern: https://www.blocklotto.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BirdBlockDirectionsV2.pdfWe will have a Boutique Table Pattern of the Month in our Virtual email each month, so please look for it and actually MAKE it if you can, to donate to the Boutique Table. This can count towards your required six Boutique Table items.As always, a HUGE Thank You to all of my Program/Education Committee members! Every one of you is a pleasure to work with, as well as laugh (both at and with!) and enjoy sharing snacks with.If you have suggestions for one of our monthly workshops (preferably half-day) or for a program, please let us know! We're always looking for new ideas.

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Tips & Resources:

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Hanging Sleeve:
Hanging a quilt is a great way to display it, but you should protect the quilt by hanging it properly. Nails,
staples, and tacks cause rusting and tearing, and put stress on the fabric. A popular hanging method is to slip
a dowel or curtain rod through a sleeve sewn to the backing. This distributes weight and strain evenly across the quilt width. Any quilt that is 60” or more wide needs a hanging sleeve for the quilt show. The rod from which the quilt will hang is 94” wide. If your quilt is wider than
that, make your sleeve about 92-93” wide and center it. This way your quilt will hang flat. If your sleeve is more than 93” the quilt will hang with gathers.
To make a sleeve:
1. Cut a fabric (muslin works well, or match your backing fabric) strip 9" wide and as long as the top edge of the quilt. Piece strips as needed to achieve desired length.
2. On each end of the strip, turn under 1⁄2”; then turn under another 1”. Topstitch to hem both ends.
3. With wrong sides facing, fold the strip in half lengthwise. Sew the long edges together with a 1⁄2” seam allowance, leaving the ends open.
4. Press seam allowances open, turn and open the tube. Press the tube flat. On the back side, press in another crease 1" down from the top crease.
5. With the tube against the backing, center the sleeve just below the binding and pin. Hand-sew sleeve
to backing along bottom crease. No stitches should show on the front.
6. Remove pins and fold the top of the sleeve along the second crease. Hand-stitch the second crease in
place on the backing. (See diagram). This “pleat” allows for more fullness to accommodate the bulk of the dowel and the quilt will hang flat on the front side.
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