A winter pastime for many women of Lincoln County, quilting has become much more than a hobby for the members of Tender Lovin’ Quilters in Troy. The club, founded in 1993, hosted it’s annual Quilting 101 class on Saturday morning at the Troy Methodist church.

As well as providing a free quilting class to the public, the club has bi annual quilting retreats for its members, and has found ways to expand the sense of community formed over the years to help out. It’s the quilters who provide burnout quilts for people who lose their possessions in a fire. This year, they will also be sewing tree skirts for the Christmas tree to go to Washington in 2017.

In the crowded church supper room, Quilting 101 coordinator Tammy Anderson is one of three instructors conducting classes at the same time, with about 10 people attending in each group.

This year, about half of the instructors are from the Kootenai Valley Quilt Guild out of Libby, and about half of the attendees are from Libby. Classes cover quilting techniques and include demonstrations with sewing machines, along with troubleshooting. Many questions are asked and answered. “The Yaak ladies who usually come didn’t this year” Anderson comments “too much snow.”

One of the founding members, Kathleen Pierce, is happily looking forward to the retreat next month. This year, it will be held at Big Horn Lodge on the Bull River. Pierce says “We don’t cook, we don’t answer the phone, we don’t have to clean up.” Anderson adds “We pack up the sewing room and it’s about fellowshipping with other quilters. A really therapeutic weekend.”