In the heart of Mississippi, kissed by sunshine and southern charm, the small town of Starkville sits nestled amongst the looming pine trees swaying in the breeze. Alongside saccharine sweet tea and a passion for football, Starkville can pride itself on the quintessential small-town characteristic that makes it feel like home – community. This community is evident in bustling campus sidewalks and illuminated Friday nights in the Cotton District.
However, there is a quieter, unsung pillar of Starkville’s community. In church basements and empty gymnasiums, following the sound of softly clicking sewing machines and warm chatter will lead you to one of Starkville’s many local quilting clubs, enriching both their own community and the one around them.
Starkville, Mississippi, and its surrounding towns are home to around five quilting clubs, ranging from informal sewing groups focused on casual conversation and unstructured work time to formal guilds involving structured meetings and agendas. Within these organizations, members foster their love of sewing and fiber arts through mutual encouragement and shared passion for their craft. Whether they are a curious beginner or a seasoned sewist, everybody bonds over what they have in common – a love of quilting.
The average quilt guild meeting often involves a speaker, either from within the group or an outside quilter to share a new perspective. This speaker will discuss new techniques and share wisdom and experience they have gained in their time quilting. Then, members will present the projects they have been working on in a show-and-tell fashion. After each presentation, everyone claps in support of their fellow quilter.
Carol Punday, member of the Golden Triangle Quilters Guild, described her guild’s show-and-tell process.
“We bring what we made, and we stand up and say what it is, who it’s for, what our inspiration was… and we give a little clap for everyone,” Punday said. “Because who doesn’t need some encouragement and some love from the people around them?”
Besides the regular meetings, quilting clubs also hold regular sit-and-sew gatherings where members can work together on personal projects and community service projects. Here, members can turn to others in their guild to seek guidance and wisdom for difficult projects. Tonya Stewart, secretary for the Possum Town Quilters, explained this aspect of supportiveness in her guild.
“If you have questions or you’re getting stuck on something, there’s always somebody in the guild who will help you out,” Stewart said. “We love what we do and we love sharing that.”
From start to finish, each quilting guild gathering is filled with intentional support and encouragement. The guilds go to lengths to ensure everyone feels welcomed, uplifted and fulfilled in their craft.
“It’s an intentionally cultivated group. Our mission is to encourage every quilter,” Punday said, reflecting on the ways her guild creates their community.
The warmth and fulfillment from these guilds are more than abstract notions. A 2011 study from the Oxford Journal of Public Health, conducted by Emily Burt and Jacqueline Atkinson, thematically analyzed interviews with members of quilting clubs and found that there is a strong positive connection between quilting clubs and members’ mental health.
In this study, it was found that not only does quilting itself encourage well-being with its bright colors and rewarding sense of accomplishment, but those who participated in a positive quilting club community experienced strong friendships and boosted self-esteem. Not only this, but even the community service aspect of altruistically giving back to others boosted members’ sense of purpose. Starkville’s own quilting guilds reflect this through their own many service projects that utilize their skills to give back to their community.
The Golden Triangle Quilters Guild outfits each sheriff’s car with a handmade quilt and stuffed animal to be given to children or innocent victims experiencing traumatic events. In a time of uncertainty and tragedy, these handmade gifts provide comfort and warmth for these victims. They also provide quilts to be used in Christmas boxes for the Starkville Strong project.
The Possum Town Quilters create quilts to be presented to Habitat for Humanity, where each member makes a block that is then quilted together to create a collaborative product. They have also created quilts for auctions at the Relay for Life fundraising events.
Both guilds create quilts to be presented in honor of U.S. Veterans through the Quilts of Valor project.
Each quilting guild fosters a community so strong that it bleeds at the edges, overflowing into the community of Starkville through their many service projects. Each member is working hard to ensure that the small town community is enriched and cared for through their generosity and altruism. This ensures that everyone who passes through the ever-changing community of Starkville feels its warm welcome.
Reminiscing on her previous home and her experience moving to Starkville, Punday spoke about her quilting guild as an encouraging place for newcomers.
“Especially university communities tend to be a transient community,” Punday said. “It’s very intentional that we want to be welcoming.”
When uncertainty is prevalent and new experiences seem daunting, a small town community can be a place for newcomers to find home. Starkville’s many quilting clubs have been key contributors to this for years. Through their loving and supportive energy that overflows into their town, these guilds ensure that there is never a shortage of quilts or community.
