About Us

The purpose of the organization is to develop and promote an interest in the art of quilting.  The Guild presents programs of interest to members, educates members through lectures and workshops and encourages philanthropic activities. 

The guild is open to all who share this interest in quilting.  All levels of experience are welcome.  The general membership meeting is usually held on the 3^rd Thursday of each month at the Peace Lutheran Church located at 415 West Main Street (near Rt. 59 and IL 126) in Plainfield, Illinois.  Guests are welcome to attend any program meeting for a $5.00 fee.  There are currently about 130 members from Plainfield and the surrounding communities. 

Social time with refreshments begins at 6:45 p.m. with the meeting beginning promptly at 7:00 p.m. and ending around 9:00 pm.  The guild usually begins with the business meeting, after which short break is taken, then a lecture by a nationally known quilt teacher or artist, followed by Show and Tell.  Any member or guest is welcome to share their completed quilt project during Show and Tell.  

Philanthropy

Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

The Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative (AAQI) is a grassroots effort to raise awareness and fund research to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. All profit is donated to Alzheimer's research. The AAQI is accomplishing its goals with two concurrent programs: The first is a nationwide quilt exhibit called "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece By Piece." It contains 52 quilts each interpreting Alzheimer's in some way. So far, an estimated 88,000 have already seen these quilts. They will crisscross the country from August 2006 until July 2009. The second "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts" project, so named for the urgent need for research dollars and the requirement that these quilts must fit into a cardboard USPS priority mailer without folding. They are small works of art no larger than 9 inches by 12 inches, auctioned on the first day of each month at  or sold outright on the Internet or at selected venues across the United States. My mother is one of more than 5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. I began the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative because I think it is possible to make a difference, one quilt at a time. Since January 2006 the AAQI has raised $100,000 for Alzheimer’s research. With your help we can reach $500,000. (I gotta dream big!) Please join me, Ami Simms

Project Linus

Project Linus – Providing Security Through Blankets.

Blankets are collected locally and distributed to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, or anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug. It’s national headquarters are located in Bloomington, Illinois. 

Project Linus is a 100% volunteer non-profit organization and has a two-fold mission.  

• First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers”.

• Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

For more information, visit their website:  www.projectlinus.org

 The Georgian Quilt Group

The Pride of the Prairie Quilters supports a small group of sister quilters in the Republic of Georgia (formerly U.S.S.R.).  Funds are raised at our annual Quilter's Garage Sale and other events.  The money is used to send much needed fabric and quilting supplies.  Karen Musgrave is the liaison for the group and also sells their Georgian art, of which 100% of the purchase price goes directly to the artist. 

The Georgian Quilt Group was formed in Sept. 2003 when American quilt artist and teacher Karen Musgrave was invited to present a paper and teach at the 4th International Textile Symposium in Tbilisi, Georgia.

While the making of quilts was part of the Georgian craft tradition, it had been almost completely abandoned.  The group has come far. Karen has returned 3 additional times to teach and in March 2005 took an exhibition of Gee's Bend quilts (African American Quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama.) Thirteen old and new Georgian quilts were also exhibited at the same time--a first in Georgian history.

The group has its own studio which is opened 7 days a week.  This is a small apartment purchased by one of the members with her inheritance.  In the beginning they worked on crank sewing machines or old German machines which broke often. Now they work on 5 Bernettes donated by the Pride of the Prairie Quilt Guild of Plainfield, Illinois.

A few facts about the Republic of Georgia:

• This country was the second republic to break from the Soviet Union in 1991. It was the last republic allowed into the United Nations

• The population is about 5 million with 1 million people living in Tbilisi, the capital.

• The country is mostly mountainous and is about the size of South Carolina.

• It was one of the first countries to donate money to Katrina victims.

• Georgians are highly tolerant of other religions. The majority of
  Georgians are Georgian Orthodox. Georgians embraced Christianity in the third century.

• They speak their own language and have their own alphabet.