TAHOE/TRUCKEE

A small team of passionate quilters and community champions have been quietly working on something special for the community. Led by local artists Heather River (Bespoke/Atelier) and Katie Townsend-Merino, they are sewing a quilt named “Common Thread.” 

Together, they’ve carefully stitched 160 individual blocks — called Flying Geese — representing migration, belonging, and the strength found in community. Each block contains four geese and each goose is made from three pieces of fabric, meaning the team has intentionally sewn more than 1,280 seams to make the geese. The quilt will be finished with big stitch hand quilting.

Each piece of fabric in the quilt was donated by the community, making it a true collaboration from start to finish. When it’s complete, this 122-by-96-inch quilt will be large enough to wrap around an entire family.

Even more importantly, it will help create security, shelter, and hope by raising funds for Sierra Community House.

Later this year the team will showcase the quilt around town and the quilt will be raffled off, with every dollar going to Sierra Community House. Raffle tickets will be $5 each and available to purchase at sierra-community-house.networkforgood.com/projects/302366-community-quilt-for-sierra-community-house. 

Quilting bees will be held every Wednesday for those who want to help hand quilt Common Thread from 5 to 6:30 p.m. upstairs above Bespoke. Everyone is welcome, no experience necessary.

Contact Katie Townsend-Merino at kmerino@me.com for details or to express interest in showcasing the quilt at a business or organization.

~ Sierra Community House press release