5 quilts from Cut & Sew PHL in Mt. Airy chosen for QuiltCon national convention in Phoenix

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If there were a Super Bowl for quilt making, QuiltCon would be it. The national event, which will take place Feb. 20–23 in Phoenix, attracts quilt submissions from across the United States and around the world.

This year, a group of students from Cut & Sew PHL in Mount Airy will take part after several of their quilts were accepted for display. According to Cut & Sew PHL owner Melissa Clouser-Missett, QuiltCon’s broad reach makes it a prime destination for quilters of every skill level.

“We submitted our applications in October and then we heard back in December that all five of our submissions were accepted,” she said. “QuiltCon had over 2,000 submissions this year!”

Annabelle Vincent, a 12-year-old Greene Street Friends School student, said completing quilts gives her a feeling of accomplishment. Her latest quilt, inspired by an online artist, features vibrant hues.

“It is a perfect orange with a mix of summery colors, yellow and pinkish,” she said. “When I am working on the quilt the process is slow.”

But as it nears completion, she said, “You are making a work of art without even realizing it.”

Joining Vincent at QuiltCon will be several other young quilters whose work was also selected for display: Ava Badstubner, 14, of Saul High School; Hadley Woods, 11, of Ancillae-Assumpta Academy; Kira Bauman, 9, of Dobson Elementary School; and 12-year-old Iris Van Orden, who also attends Greene Street Friends School.

All are participants in Cut & Sew’s after-school program, “Spool School,” which serves 30 to 40 students and also offers a summer session. Students begin by making simpler items such as pillows or tote bags.

“Once they’ve done some beginner projects, then they can start to explore and use fabrics in different ways,” Clouser-Missett said. “We’ve encouraged some of the kids to take up quilting or at least explore quilting. We’ve introduced that as an art form, and some of them have taken up on it and created their own artwork. They bring their own ideas to fruition.”

Opened in May 2022, Cut & Sew is a quilt shop and sewing studio located at Germantown and Mount Pleasant avenues. “We focus on classes and workshops for kids, teens and adults,” said Clouser-Missett. “We also have studio and equipment rentals. We also sell fabrics, notions and sewing supplies.”

To make sewing more accessible, the shop sells previously owned fabrics at reduced prices. Depending upon the season, Cut & Sew employs seven to 10 people, including shopkeepers, along with student and adult instructors.

Clouser-Missett believes sewing is an important skill to learn for people of every age.

“For kids, there are a lot of benefits, including manual dexterity — operating a machine by hand,” she said. “There is a sustainability element where kids and adults can repair items that have ripped or have some sort of issue, to extend the life.”

Cut & Sew is currently raising funds to send the students and their chaperones to Phoenix.

“It’s going well,” Clouser-Missett said. “We already have the airfare covered.”

Those interested in contributing to the trip can visit the fundraising page at the Cut & Sew website.

As of Thursday, the website reported $6,843 raised, about 85% of its $8,000 goal.

“America has a rich history of quilting,” Clouser-Missett said.

And with these young quilters now in the spotlight, America’s enduring quilting tradition will continue to stitch new chapters for generations to come.

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series that explores the impact of creativity on student learning and success. WHYY and this series are supported by the Marrazzo Family Foundation, a foundation focused on fostering creativity in Philadelphia youth, which is led by Ellie and Jeff Marrazzo. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.