In Memory of Angie Laing

July 30, 1927 – April 1, 2014

Member Spotlight (reprinted from Jan 2005 Star Quilters Newsletter)

I caught Angie in the spotlight for the first in a continuing column on our members; shown here with her prize winning whole cloth entry at the Salem Fair.

After 40 years working for a CPA firm she left the work world and took up quilting. She’d been doing hand work such as embroidery, knitting, needlepoint and crochet, but had never done anything in the quilting area beyond collecting patterns and magazines.

A general beginner class at a local quilt shop started her off. She continued with other classes; many through our guild. Most of her 100 quilts became gifts of comfort and kindness. For a while she presented a quilt to each new baby in her church, but her fellow Presbyterians proved too passionate for her. She created many quilts for the Good Samaritan Hospice, for our guild’s comfort quilts project, and made double knit single bed quilts for transient men at the City Rescue Mission.

Her favorite project was teaching hand piecing to 10 and 11 year olds at the Presbyterian Community Center in the after-school program for “at risk” youngsters. Four of an original 10 completed their quilts. After hand piecing them, Angie made the sandwiches & turned them. Then each girl tied them to complete the project. Angie made “Hand Quilted by..” labels for each girl with their name and age. Their obvious pride made it clear she’d made a real difference in their lives.

She’s one of the Crazy 8’s; currently comprised of Joanne Kling, Claire Barton, Sallie Powers, Nancy Ratner, Ann Weaver, Dianne Bragg, Wanda Nawrocki, and Angie. In January they begin a new project — single bed quilts for the women/children facility at City Rescue Mission.

She does all her assembly with a sewing machine, but enjoys hand quilting whole cloth quilts even though hand problems force her to limit her time. She shifted away from using a large frame to an 18” hoop which she can use from the recliner. She gets smaller stitches with a size 12 between, but usually uses a 10 because the 12’s break so easily. She saves her back by thread basting with the quilt sandwich on a pair of banquet tables raised about 6”.

— Susan Kraterfield

Angie’s work from our archives

Our 2005 & 2007 shows had lots of lucious work by Angie. Do click on the pictures to get more detail.

: 2007 Show: Antique rose Casket Quilt. Having made a queen sized quilt like these squares I decided to do a smaller version with only 6 quilted/embroidered blocks. This pink roses quilt will be used on my casket.

: I always have a fun project to work on as we travel. My husband prefers that I do needlework as drives; rather than tell him how to operate the vehicle.

: 2005 Spring Social. Angie on right next to Lucy Ricardo

: Red Work Santa: “I still believe in Santa”

: Christmas BowTie: 30×30 Taught this technique many times and everyone enjoys it.

: Cheaper Than Therapy: I always have a quilt ready to stitch during a down period. Much cheaper and more fulfilling than any therapy could ever be.

: Spring Flowers: Stenciled flowers; hand quilted

: Grand Finale: 83×99 Made over a 6 month period; 250+ hours to complete and using over 1,000 yards of thread. Completed June 2000.

: Snow Storms of 2003: 80×90 Made when house bound for 5 days using only scrap fabric on hand, except for background. Machine quilted by Faye Dial.