Fox & Geese is the 2007 raffle quilt made by the Heritage Quilters. It will be raffled off Wednesday, October 31st at 3:30 p.m. at the museum. Make sure all of your raffle tickets are in by then!

Looking for opportunities to hone your quilting skills? How about the chance to work with others on a common project that perpetrates the quilters’ craft and supports the mission of the Historical Society? Perhaps you enjoy the socialization that quilting in a group provides.

Consider joining the Heritage Quilters each Wednesday morning throughout the year at the Society’s museum at 6422 Main Street in Union. Quilters of varying levels of experience meet from 9:30 a.m. to about noon to work on a raffle quilt that benefits the not-for-profit Historical Society. Beginners are very welcome. Learn to quilt while making new friends.

Our 22nd beautiful raffle quilt, "Mr. Lincolns Stars", handmade by the Society's Heritage Quilters, is being displayed throughout the county by volunteers at summer and early fall community festivals and events. This year's quilt is again designed by Arlen Bird, a talented and invaluable member of the McHenry County Historical Society's Heritage Quilters.

The quilt's "Mr. Lincoln’s Stars" pattern is dedicated to Don Perkins. We offer you the opportunity to win this beautiful heirloom quality quilt. By participating in this raffle, you provide absolutely essential funds that help the Historical Society carry out its mission. preserve, promote and present the history of McHenry County and encourage a county preservation ethic. Quilts are history preserved in fabric.

Contact the Historical Society (815-923-2267) to learn more about the Heritage Quilters and their 21-year history with the Society. Be part of this special Historical Society support group which this year earned over $4,600. on their 2005 raffle quilt "Honey Bee".

Continuing a tradition begun back in 1984, quilters, want-to-be quilters and members of the McHenry County Historical Society Heritage Quilters gather at the Society’s museum at 6422 Main Street, Union. The annual quilt piecing party and pot luck luncheon is held in January of each year.

In 2006, Sue Stanek of Algonquin presented the design for the Society’s 2007 raffle quilt. Instructions on quilt block construction, fabric and block assignments took place in the morning before the luncheon.

Continuing the tradition of hand stitched quilting, the teaching and sharing of quilting techniques has long been a part of the historical society’s programming. The Heritage Quilters actually meet on Wednesday morning at the museum throughout the year and always invite novices to join in. Quilts designed by this group are queen sized, varied in patterns and include a dedication and date on the back. The Society then sells raffle tickets throughout the year. The drawing takes place on the last Wednesday in October following a well attended quilt program.

In times past, quilts were made by women to provide necessary warmth for their families during cold and freezing winters. They were made from scraps and leftovers, and the job could be very boring and tedious. Many women turned this necessary chore into a creative outlet to break the endless drudgery of 18^th and 19^th century life. They began cutting their scraps and sewing them into interesting and beautiful patterns, thus creating a more colorful and cheerful environment for their families---especially during the long and dull winters when these beautiful quilts were taken out of their storage trunks and placed atop the beds.

Once the quilt top was pieced, it was placed in a frame and the long but necessary process of quilting the layers together began. Some utilitarian quilts were tied to provide quick warmth. However, the beautiful tops created to brighten the colonial and frontier homes were often quilted with beautiful, elaborate and loving stitches, forming a treasure to be proud of and cherish. Often family members, friends and neighbors would come to assist the housewife who had a quilt in her frame. This time spent in jointly working on a long and tedious job became a social outlet for the quilters. These informal and friendly acts of kindness developed into what was referred to as a "quilting" and later as a "quilting bee". When word was sent through the community that on a designated day the housewife with a newly stitched quilt top would host a "quilting", all the friends and neighbors brought food and came early. The large frames could hold a dozen or so quilters who made quick work of such a lengthy job. But the most important aspect of the "quilting" was the opportunity for women to get together and catch up on all the latest news and local happenings. This was a much needed social outlet for women who were often left home alone to care for the children, the farm and the animals while their husbands or fathers went to the nearest town to do the trading. Some quiltings even included the men who would come in the evenings after the chores were done and the frame was then put away and a dance might be held with music being provided by anyone who had an instrument. Thus quilting became a very important part of our heritage: Nola Thompson