May 1, 2008

Featured Quilter debuts at 2008 quilt show

Journal photo by Jennifer Larsen

Quilter’s paradise. Marge Schoessler, this year’s Piece By Peace Quilt Guild featured quilter, is surrounded by treasures she’s stitched through the years as she sits on an iron bench created by her sister, Mikki Kison, and Lind artist Annie Smart.

By Jennifer Larsen

News editor

The Peace By Piece Quilt Guild has added a new draw to the annual quilt show, slated for this Saturday at the Ritzville Elementary School gym and cafeteria.

It joins countless other shows across the state in celebrating local talent with a featured quilter. The first featured quilter for Ritzville’s event is Marge Schoessler, who is known by fellow quilters as a source of immense knowledge and experience.

Schoessler is quick to shy away from the spotlight, but quilt guild members unanimously agreed at a recent meeting to showcase her work at the quilt show.

“She didn’t have a chance to say no,” said Jean Weise as she smiled.

Weise explained that the guild had talked about recognizing local quilters in the same tradition as regional and state shows, such as the Washington State Quilters show in Spokane.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation for guild members when it came time to choose a featured quilter. Her quest to try new things and her willingness to help were key factors, according to Weise.

“Marge is a very prolific quilter and she comes up with unique ideas,” Weise added.

Schoessler admits her quilting could be considered traditional, to a certain degree. What’s not traditional is her knack for not following directions and her thriftiness.

“A quilt that has all the same blocks in it will bore me to death,” she said. “I always like to try new things. You need to stretch and try something different.”

Once she’s tried a new tool or technique, Schoessler introduces the new-found piece of information with other quilters.

For example, Weise recalled a trip to find a ruler for kaleidoscope quilts. Once the ruler was purchased, Schoessler finished reading the directions by the time they got home. Within a week, the duo had purchased fabric and was ready to make a quilt.

But Schoessler rarely follows a quilt pattern.

“I would say 99 percent of her quilts are original,” Weise said. “That’s the part that always amazes me.”

That and how fast she seems to complete quilting projects, Weise added.

“It’s a creative outlet for me,” she said. “I have to be doing something. I can hardly tolerate just to sit. I would never get any (quilts) done if it took months.”

Her secret is sewing every day, at least a little. But having the gift of quickness and dedication has its own dilemma – what to do with all the quilts.

“If I kept everything I sewed over the years…” Schoessler started.

“There wouldn’t be enough room in your house,” Weise finished for her.

Schoessler is a fan of making a lot of smaller quilted items, and she gives numerous quilts to family and friends. She continues a common tradition in generational families of giving quilts to all the nieces and nephews.

Most of the quilts that are kept are used; others are displayed out of direct sunlight. Schoessler said that quilts that are hung properly will probably not stretch or sag. When it’s time to clean the quilts, she uses the vacuum instead of the washing machine.

She tries to get one finished before starting another, “but I might have three or four things I’m working on, just for diversity.”

Schoessler was born in Tonasket, Wash., and started sewing as a young girl in 4-H and at home. Her mother stitched clothing while she was in school, and Schoessler continued after she was out of school.

She moved to Ritzville at 16 because her parents, Fred and Vivian Sanger, purchased the Tastee Freez in 1962 and renamed it to the Kernel Freeze, which is now the Blue Bike Café.

“I worked in there off and on under different owners,” Schoessler said.

She and her husband, Bob, were married in 1972, and after the kids graduated from high school, Marge delved into quilting. One of her first quilting classes was taught by Bonnie Swannack in Carol Ann Schwisow’s studio, now Sherryl Evans’ gallery in the basement of Ritzville Computer and Internet.

“Obviously, I love to sew. I like yard work. I like a nice yard, but I’m not meticulous. I follow the grandkids. And I like teaching, the opportunity to share and help people.”