History

January of 1982 found a small group of women seated around long tables at R. D. Evans Recreation Center busily working on their quilting projects.  Finished projects were shown and sewing tips and techniques were shared.  This was the beginning of Trinity Valley Quilters' Guild.  The idea for a guild was formulated four months earlier in the back room of the Quilt Box, Janet Mullins' shop, where some of the women were enrolled in classes.  From this beginning came a Guild that has grown to include almost 400 members.

Within a year, the members decided to display their work for the public and a small show was mounted on tables at the Junior Achievement Building.  Each year the show has grown and it is now a major attraction for the City of Fort Worth.  Hundreds of quilts are displayed and vendors from across the United States vie with the quilts for the attention of the 3000 people who attend the show.

By 1989, the membership had outgrown the tables and the focus of the meeting had changed.  The women no longer met to work on their projects, but came to learn from nationally known teachers.  Workshops and mini lessons provided opportunities to increase their skills.

The membership continued to grow and by June of 1994, the room at R. D. Evans was filled to overflowing.  After a search, they found a new home at Central Christian Church located on Hamilton at Bailey.

Today Guild members share more than their skills and knowledge.  They also support community projects.  Each year Guild members design and produce a donation quilt.  Proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets for the quilt are contributed to agencies in support of women and children,  libraries, and education in the community.  The Guild has established a scholarship for the advancement of fiber art and textiles.

However, this is only part of the story.  Each month Guild members make baby quilts for John Peter Smith Hospital.  Over the years, the Guild has donated hundreds of quilts to this cause, which includes the Mommy and Me Drug Free Program

The history of the Guild parallels the rebirth of quilting in Texas and the United States.  The Guild has embraced these changes and like the art, it has continued to grow.