By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
OCEAN GROVE – Terry Walsh, a Lincroft resident, will be one of the presenters at the Ocean Grove Women’s Weekend, May 4 – 6, at the Majestic Hotel on Main Avenue.
The event will offer workshops, lectures and services on wellness, hobbies, self-improvement and more.
Walsh, who has been quilting in all its forms for decades, will speak about the history of hand-quilting, how to get started and will display remarkable and historic quilts.
Hand-quilting, different from quilting with sewing machines, is an important part of American history. As Walsh explains, when Americans went West during pioneer days, quilting was necessary handiwork for women to make warm bed coverings, sheets and pillowcases.
Throughout the years, Walsh has taught hand-quilting to various groups, including mother/daughter and mother/daughter-in-law duos and foreign exchange students.
For several years she taught English to visiting Japanese college students while teaching them to hand-quilt.
“I warned them that they would go home with a New Jersey accent,” says Walsh, who formed a long-lasting bond with many of the young women.
In addition to fostering camaraderie and closeness among the women she has taught and quilted with, Walsh says the pastime can have health benefits. One student attributed her lowered blood pressure and overall improved health and attitude to the time she spent hand-quilting.
Walsh, whose “friendly dissertation” will be on the afternoon of Saturday, May 5, will also display antique quilts. She enjoys telling their histories, especially where the fabrics came from, including one made from flour sacking from a certain mill in the mid-1800s. “Every quilt has a story,” she says.
The Women’s Weekend will offer relaxation, rejuvenation and fun. Assorted workshops and demonstrations, – from memoir writing to fishing to angel card readings – will be followed by a Victorian fashion show.
For more information, contact Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce at 732-774-1391 or info@oceangrovechamber.org.
