A group of quilters at Casas Adobes Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, will display their work this weekend at a special art event.
Some 30 quilts and church banners will be exhibited Saturday and Sunday as part of the church's Adventures in Art Series, which is typically held the fourth Sunday of the month to emphasize the arts at the church.
"This group has never done a display before and this might be the last one," member Chris Sternberg joked.
The Stitch Witches formed about six years ago at Casas Adobes Congregational Church under the premise that there would be no organizational structure to the group.
"Our only rule is: we have no rules," member Carol Bogg said.
Members meet weekly at the church, mainly to work on quilts, but people who work on all forms of needlework are welcome.
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The Stitch Witches donate most of the quilts they complete to Casa de la Luz Hospice.
The group also created three church banners to decorate the church's sanctuary; they'll be on display at this weekend's quilt show.
Two 13-foot-tall Pentecost banners and a banner sewn by hand to celebrate the church's 50th anniversary in 2008 will be featured at the show.
Members can contribute to group-made quilts or work on their own individual projects.
"It's a real sharing experience and it's a lot of fun that way," Sternberg said.
All of the fabric used to create group projects has been donated to Stitch Witches by church and community members.
Stitch Witches member Bogg prefers to sew her own quilts at weekly meetings.
She has three quilts in the works now and has completed 57 quilts since 1997.
"I feel most whole when I'm doing this," she said. "The rest of the world is all gone."
Bogg brings her own Singer sewing machine to Witches get-togethers.
"I love this little machine," she said of the 56-year-old Singer. "It's been in the shop twice for repairs."
Bogg said she will have five or six quilts on display at the show.
Shaun Robinson doesn't consider herself a quilter, but she still carves out time to enjoy the hobby.
"I like to take it home and do it when I'm watching TV," she said.
Robinson is an original member of the group.
"I came because I was new to the church. It was a way to get acquainted," she said.
Sternberg started quilting when she was about 8 years old.
"My grandmother did quilts and I paid attention," she said.
No one takes themselves too seriously at Stitch Witches meetings, Sternberg said.
"It is a group that cares about each other," she said. "We talk mostly about stitching and our families."
if you go
• What: Quilt Show
• Where: Casas Adobes Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 6801 N. Oracle Road
• When: 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
• Cost: Free
• Etc.: The church also hosts monthly forums on issues of broad community interest. The next forum, "Challenge of Governance at Local Level," is scheduled for Feb. 19.
• Info: Go to www.casasadobesucc.org or call the church at 297-1181
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
