82-Lancastar Fanning, Saturday, November 1,1986
Cabin Creek Co-op Pieces Together Art, Income For Members
BY DEBBIE STILES-RENZI
West Virginia Correspondent
CHARLESTON AND
CHELYAN, W. Va. - Over 80 West
Virginia women (and one man)
belong to Cabin Creek Quilts Co-op,
a member-operated firm that is
keeping the traditional art of
quilting alive while providing
extra money for those with limited
income.
The co-op began as the project of
a VISTA worker from Boston in
1970. VISTA (Volunteers in Service
to America) is a government
program similiar in purpose to The
Peace Corps.
Twenty-three-year-old VISTA
volunteer James Thibeault came
to southeastern West Virginia
originally to work on pollution
control; the area is a
predominantly coal mining region.
But the beautiful handwork he saw
being done in homes he visited
sparked the idea that eventually
led to the formation of a co-op.
The co-op’s sole purpose is to
allow members to continue the art
of quilting in their homes while
giving them a profitable market
for their work.
Five quitters made up the
original organization. The number
of members fluctuates, according
to marketing person Sue Adams of
Cabin Creek Quilts. From a high of
around ISO women, there are now
85 to 87 quitters and piecers from 11
counties who construct a line of
regular products. They offer
fullsize quilts, women’s and
children’s clothing, kitchen ac
cessories, wall hangings, wreaths,
dolls and Christmas items. The co-
Sharon Ford selects bolts of different-patterned blue fabric
for placements at the Cabin Creek Quilts distribution center
in Chelyan.
Donna Aaroe has worked full time in Cabin Creek's Charleston store for four years and
quilted for the cooperative about a year before that. On display behind her are four
member-made quilts. From left the patterns are “Dresden,” “Double Wedding Ring,"
“Churn Dash,'' and “Log Cabin."
op also has a large custom order
business.
“We do a lot of special orders,”
says Sue Adams. These have in
cluded a Christmas tree skirt done
in Wedgewood blues, completed
this past week for a woman in the
Eastern Panhandle, and a set of
quilts for someone in the Carolines
who wanted original patterns
created for her. Cabin Creek Quilts
does not charge an extra fee for
custom orders.
Product marketing is handled
through several channels. Cabin
Creek has a retail store located in
Charleston, the state capital, about
a 20 minute drive from the
distribution center in Chelyan.
Chelyan is across the Kanawha
River from Cabin Creek, where it
all began.
Products are wholesaled through
Artisans Cooperative in Chadds
Ford, Pa. and Match Co-op in
Lexington, Ky. Sue Adams and a
traveling helper, Charlotte Em
swiler, promote and sell Cabin
Creek through publicity ap
pearances and demonstrations
throughout the country.
“We do all sizes of fairs," she
says. “Our fair circuit begins >.
spring and will go through
December.” They display 25 to 30
quilts at a show, on the average.
But theirs was a humble
beginning. “When they (the per
sons who originally went to shows)
first went out, they took a pick-up
truck. Then when they had the van,
they’d sleep in the van, covered up
in the quilts because they couldn’t
afford to stay in motels to go to the
shows.”
An attractive wooden trunk holds Cabin Creek treasure: a Double Wedding Ring quilt,
a pillow done in the Dresden pattern and handmade dolls.
Tho co-op is now featured in
~«me 30 to 35 shows a year ir
several states across the nation.
Those in Florida are particularly
successful, Sue reports.
One recent exhibition ir
Sarasota saw Cabin Creek com
pletely sold out of small items,
though they didn’t sell one quilt.
Obviously, Sue noted, people in
that area don’t need warm bed
coverings. But there was a large
population of retirees from West
Virginia and, “They all wanted a
piece of home,” Sue relates.
They also have a mail order
business and were fortunate this
year to receive matching funds
from the Benedum Foundation to
put-out a full-color catalog, their
first ever. The catalog is available
for $2 from the distribution center,
mailing address Box 383, Cabin
Creek, W.Va., 25305.
The co-op has a full-time paid co
director, Judy Parcell, and a full
time worker at the Charleston
store, Donna Aaroe. All others are
part time or volunteers.
The co-op’s members meet once
a year for their annual meeting
and quilting “bee,” to elect of
ficers and make changes in the by
laws. Otherwise, members work in
their homes and send their finished
products to the distribution center.
“We had about 75 here this
year,” says Sue, looking around
and smiling at the modest block
building with dimensions only
slightly larger than a basketball
court. “We set ’em up end to end,”
she says with a grin.
The co-op takes special care with
its quilts. “Each quilt comes with a
registration card telling who
Sue Adams handles marketing at Cabin Creek Quilts,
traveling around the country to exhibitions, fairs and festivals
selling Cabin Creek wares. She stands in front of a “Lone
Star” pattern quilt done in blues and parchment.
pieced it and who quilted it,” Sue
explains. “Most of the time we
have the name of the person who
bought the quilt ” The exception is
if someone purchases a quilt from
a store where it was wholesaled tc
by the co-op.
Using the registration cards, the
co-op can return a quilt needing
repair to the person who originally
did the work, so the quilting style
can be maintained. “Each quilt is
an individual work of art,’’ she
says with pride.
Quitters for the co-op range in
homestead
tMoies
age from teenagers to women in
their eighties. “And we have one
man who is a member,” Sue says.
“The ladies each have
something that they like to do,”
relates Sharon Ford, who also
works at the distribution center.
Some would rather piece than
quilt.
When an order comes in to Cabin
Creek, it is filled immediately if
the item is part of the regular line.
If it is a custom order or an item
out of stock, the material for the
top is sent to a piecer who
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