This Quilt Creates A Buzz: Around The Frame
At this year’s 47th Annual Maumee Valley Antique Gas and Steam Association Quilt Show, one quilt got me buzzing. It was a quilt entitled Honeybees and Sunflowers created by Rae Fuhrmann of Decatur. I wasn’t the only visitor buzzed by it as it took second prize in the People’s Choice awards.
Rae started sewing as a member of 4-H when she was ten years old. She is now retired after teaching kindergarten for over 40 years. Once retired, she began sewing things for the grandchildren, and princess cloth dolls and animal shaped bags to sell at craft shows. Rae joined the “Pieceful Quilters” quilt club in Monroeville in 2016 where she made many new friends and learned a lot about quilting.
This quilt’s journey started back in 2019, when she was visiting Yoder’s fabric store in Shipshewana along with her daughters and grandchildren. When she saw the bee panels and coordinating fabric, it was one those moments when the fabrics hopped out and spoke to her saying “Oh! I like this, I’ve got to have you!” and the fabrics found their new home in Rae’s fabric stash. Soon after COVID hit, Rae began her second bout with breast cancer. It wasn’t until 2021 that she took another look at the material and began to formulate her design and put the quilt top together. Once completed, she had it quilted at the Red Barn in Monroeville by Diane Martin in 2023. Rae then finished the binding in January of 2024.
The result is beautiful and inspiring. There is a large panel in the middle that states “As Sweet as Honey.” It is surrounded at NESW with panels “Home Sweet Honey,” “Be Humble,” “Save the Queen Bee,” and “Oh Bee Hive.” The corner blocks read “Bee it Blossoms,” “Nature’s Tiny Machine,” “Bee Grateful,” and “Take time to Smell the Flowers.” All great pearls of wisdom to live a bee-utiful life. Rae finds her quilt to be pleasing to the eye and brings a smile, as she was happy with the end results and honored to receive second place in the People’s Choice Awards.
Now when I viewed this quilt, “Alex and Megan,” two people who are passionate about bees came to mind. Recently Alex Cornwell celebrated 15 years as the owner of The Waynedale News. Megan Ryan is a Special Education teacher, community volunteer and event organizer, and together they combined forces to create a pollinator appreciation program. With a humble idea for a conservation project that would improve the well-being of pollinators and conservation in the Waynedale area, they have spread to many surrounding areas on sustainable properties to provide the best homes for these important pollinators.
So, in honor of Rae, Alex, and Megan, let’s all bee respectful to each other and to our buzzy honeybees that do some good in this world!
Lois Levihn is the owner of Born Again Quilts. If you have a quilt or textile story you’d like to share, contact her at 260-515-9446 or bornagainquilts@frontier.com.
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