A Time to Rend and a Time to Sew
by Sister Clare Stephen
Sister Clare has travelled extensively and served many communities since joining the congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul. Having always loved to sew, she decided to take up quilting as a hobby while serving in the community of Kansas City. Along with periodic stays in Italy, she has lived in New York City, Anchorage, Charleston, Boston, Miami, and Boston once again. As her enjoyment of quilting grew, she joined guilds, made numerous quilts, and made many quilty friends. The Proper Bostonian Quilters have been blessed to have her as a member twice!
Her quilting journey began with hand-piecing and quilting fabric she repurposed from old habits on a handmade wooden frame built for her by a dear friend. Over the years Sr. Clare’s fabric stash grew and a sewing machine entered the picture. Her creativity is boundless. She makes quilts, wall hangings, runners, mats, bags, wall pockets, and more. Her quilted pieces have been enjoyed by those who received them as gifts, won them in raffles, bought them at fairs, and received them through charitable giving. And she has won a Viewer’s Choice Award at one of PBQ’s own shows!
Below is a gallery of Sr. Clare’s most recent work.
A Proper Bostonian Quilt
When Sr. Clare left Boston for Miami in 2005, she made a quilt top with blocks that had handwritten notes from her fellow guild members celebrating their years of friendship. She has since returned to Boston, and the quilt top is waiting to be finished. After sharing her quilt story with us, she asked those who hadn’t yet signed it to add their messages. It was a joy and a privilege to add our names to this special quilt top! The center square will bear the swan boat logo that represents our guild.