The art of quilting is a timeless symbol of creativity, compassion, and community. In the early 20th century, Royal Neighbors shared quilting patterns for purchase from the pages of this very magazine, The Royal Neighbor.
More than a means of artistic expression, quilting became a powerful tool for community support. In an era when economic opportunities for women were limited, quilting offered both financial empowerment and a tangible way to care for neighbors in need.
In the early 1930s, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression. Members of Royal Neighbors were among those who did their part to support their community, coming together to create comforting quilts for residents of a senior living center. Members in Michigan created a nine patch quilt inscribed with members’ names using a wide variety of Depression-era prints. Members in Alliance, Neb. embroidered butterflies, flowers, flower baskets, and their names and chapter positions. Pictured above are Crothersville, Ind. chapter members in 1973 displaying their lap quilts designed for wheelchair users.
In 2016, both quilts were accepted for display by the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Neb.—home of the largest known public collection of quilts in the world. Later, two additional quilts were accepted for donation by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Member Lucy Blasi from Aurora, Ill., and her chapter came together to create “Stitching for Comfort,” a project that involved making quilts for those in need. Lucy was inspired by her grandmother’s connection to Royal Neighbors, and a Difference Maker Fund grant helped seed the project. They created 29 quilts in a month. In 2017, she received a Nation of Neighbors℠ award that allowed them to buy six new sewing machines and two new work tables.
Today, quilting continues to serve as a symbol of support and care. In 2024, member Sandra Potts used her Difference Maker Fund to create a quilt for a local woman battling a serious illness. Sandra rallied her community to create a quilt that symbolized unity, support, and compassion.
Just as every quilt is made up of individual pieces working in harmony, so too are the members of Royal Neighbors of America®. We honor the members who continue to weave beauty and intention into every stitch, transforming fabric into lasting expressions of values and purpose.
Download the free “Moonbow Quilt” pattern*
*Quilt pattern source: FreeSpirit Fabrics. Accessed via Fat Quarter Shop.
