Bell Tower Quiltworks by Ali Vandergon
Nestled in a restored church from 1894 in the Bitterroot Valley is Corvallis's pride and joy in quilting: Bell Tower Quiltworks. Recently featured as one of the Top 10 Stores in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Quilt Sampler, Bell Tower Quiltworks has been open since 2003, but only moved to the church in 2006. Before moving locations the owner, local Sally Bell, ran The Fabric Shop and Quilts in Hamilton, MT.
Through the giant wooden doors, the welcoming entryway and into the main hall Bell Tower is covered wall-to-wall in fabrics, quilt samples, and creative project ideas. The church's high vaulted ceilings allow for finished quilt masterpieces to be hung everywhere, filling the mind with endless possibilities for a next project. The store is staffed by a small group of creative, experienced women who help at the register as well as teach classes.
To the left of the main hall is the classroom. Bell Tower offers everything from beginner's quilting to more advanced groups that donate their work to charity.
The beginner's quilting class meets every Wednesday and works on a project for that week, adding up to the completion of a full quilt. This fall they are working on finishing a Nine-Patch quilt. Teacher Laurie Dunbar, who also works the front of the store, directs the "students" through the step-by-step process of how to complete each patch of it.
One of the more unique quilting groups is called Promise Stitch quilting. The close-knit group of women that participate sit together every Tuesday morning and chat over coffee as they begin the day's project. Promise Stitch began hundreds of years ago with Native American tribes on the East Coast and has been "resurrected" in the Bitterroot, according to teacher Nancy Green. This very traditional form of quilting has a set of tenets that members follow closely. Machines are never used for a project, 'promise stitching' a.k.a. double-stitch back is required, and fabrics, tools and knowledge are always shared with others. To its members, Promise Stitch quilting is very symbolic. Every element in the quilt has a purpose. For example, for some patterns small bags are made called fairy pouches. They are filled with possessions of loved ones (hair, a tooth, etc.) and then sewed inside of the patches on the quilt. Along with actually learning to make each quilt pattern, members say that the process also teaches something.
"Promise stitching is not just about quilting," said teacher Nancy Green. "It's about slowing down, the lesson within the quilt."
Though this method is one of many genres of quilting, it showcases the sense of community that is at Bell Tower Quiltworks. During class fast friends are made as the students sit and work on their projects, chatting with the person next to them. And quilters that work from home become regulars, catching up with staff members when they frequent the store for more supplies.
So whether one's visit is for a homemade project or to come to class, Bell Tower Quiltworks serves as a unique gathering place for quilters all across the Bitterroot Valley and the community of Corvallis.