RONAN — The ladies of the Mission Mountain Quilt Guild gathered on a brisk Saturday in November for a thread painting panel workshop. Thread painting is a new quilting technique used to add depth and texture to a fabric panel.

The lesson was taught by guest quilter Monique Kleinhans of Glacier Quilting in Kalispell. Kleinhans may have learned quilting from her mother, but this is not your mother’s quilting circle. The new style of art quilting has just recently become popularized in the quilting world.

“Thread Painting brings something new to traditional quilting. “ Kleinhans explained.

“It was not always welcomed in quilting circles, but now you would be hard-pressed to find a guild without a few thread-painters in it.”

Kleinhans has been teaching various quilting techniques for the past several years and recommends that beginners to thread painting bring, “lightweight embroidery thread, but most importantly, “your inner child.“

The Mission Mountain  Quilt Guild was founded in 1991 by Jessie Merwin, a resident with “a Charlo phone number and a Ronan address.” Merwin moved to the area from Long Island after her husband retired from the Navy.

“I had been part of a guild in Long Island, but there was not anything like that around here.” Merwin said, “I spoke with several people and they said I should put an advertisement in the paper inviting people to join the guild.”

And the rest is history, now the guild has over 40 members, organizes guest lectures for learning new techniques,  and continues to have a strong community involvement.

“We are not just a bunch of woman getting together to quilt,” Merwin said, “We do things to help the community.” One of these things is the guild’s TLC [Tender Loving Care] quilts.  The first of these was a “flag quilt” that was made by the guild and auctioned off to raise money for the troops returning home from Desert Storm.  

Since the first fundraiser the guild has continued to quilt for the community, donating quilts to raise money for local firehouses as well as providing lap quilts to rest homes in the area.

“We always have a mission,” Merwin said, “and we always have so much fun!”

Those interested in joining the Mission Mountain Quilt Guild can contact Terry Clairmont, Guild Treasurer at 745-4820.