The State Bar Association of North Dakota Spring 2013 Gavel Magazine | Page 9

NDBF QUILT PROJECT
Lawyers supporting Bar Foundation with quilt project fundraiser
There are a number of ways to support the North Dakota Bar Foundation and the many worthwhile projects it sponsors. Since last fall, five lawyers from across the state who are quilters have been showing their support one stitch at a time. They have collaborated on a quilt that will be sold at the Bar Foundation’s annual fundraiser on June 13, which is part of the SBAND’s annual meeting in Bismarck. This is the fourth year that a handmade quilt will be sold to support the Bar Foundation. In 2009, Justice Carol Kapsner of Bismarck donated a quilt she had made for the silent auction. Knowing other colleagues who also were quilters, Kapsner contacted some about a group project, which they completed in 2010 and 2011. Each year they decided on a pattern in the fall and completed their blocks by Christmas. In addition to Kapsner, this year’s quilters are Sherry Mills Moore, Bismarck, Robin Schmidt, Watford City, and Alice Senechal and Lolita Romanick, Grand Forks. In the prior two years, Tara Mulhauser of Bismarck also joined the effort, but she was unable to this year. Romanick and Senechal were co-chairs of this year’s project. Its design is called a “Log Cabin Sampler,” and each quilter was able to choose which pattern blocks she wanted to make. Senechal made all of the log cabin blocks for this quilt. The quilters then got together with their completed blocks and decided how they would assemble them into the quilt. Kapsner sewed together the first year’s quilt. “It was clear to me when I saw the blocks that we had real talented quilters and we could handle larger quilts, which we have since made,” she recalls. The size of this year’s is 90 inches by 90 inches. Another part of the process is designing the quilt’s back, which also was pieced, says Kapsner. This year’s quilt back was done by Romanick. The back’s signature block has a “scales of justice” design that has chains holding the scales in balance. Because it was made to be displayed or used, the quilt has a hanging sleeve. Quilters don’t like to be told their work is too pretty to be used. “This quilt is wellmade and heavily quilted and it should not be put in a drawer. It should be enjoyed, either on a bed or on a wall,” says Kapsner. In past years the quilts were among the donated items bid on at the silent auction. This year the creators hope to raise more money by selling $5 raffle tickets. They are available from any of the quilters or Bar Foundation board members, or call SBAND at 701-255-1404.

This 90-inch square quilt that will be sold to benefit the North Dakota Bar Foundation is called a sampler quilt, made of primarily batik fabrics in black, gold and cream colors. The dominant block in the quilt is the log cabin, and those blocks are black and cream and gold and cream. They are arranged in the pattern that is traditionally called “furrows.” The center square around which the log cabin block is constructed is called the “hearth” square. The center back of the quilt contains additional log cabin blocks positioned to create a center diamond, which is then framed by fabric strips. The four blocks, placed at the corners of the frame strips, are called “cornerstones.” Finally, the label, which is intended to provide historical information about this quilt, contains a hand embroidered and machine appliqued “Scales of Justice.” It is dated and signed by the women who created it. It was quilted by Ashley DeleBarre of Bismarck, who owns a sewing business called Sew Addicted.

The Gavel Spring 2013

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