Blessed are the piece makers
By Ginny Privitar
GOSHEN, N.Y. — Old favorites mingled with new beauties at the quilt show and holiday fair held Saturday, Nov. 21, at the First Presbyterian Church of Goshen.
Even for those who don’t sew, the awe-inspiring display of fabrics, colors, and patterns would inspire anyone to take up quilting. Other kinds of stitchery, including samplers, were also on exhibit.
A number of show-stoppers were among the assembled quilts, but samples from a Sussex County quilter stole the show. Winnie Jager and her husband, Milton, of Branchville, sat quietly in the back of the church until the news spread that she was the creator of three fabulous quilts depicting historical buildings. Her three-dimensional general stores, farms, and churches beg to be touched.
Everyone stopped to marvel at the detail in her work. She had built up separate layers of appliqué to create the background, house, roof, windows, shutters, and exterior trim. Appliquéd animals and flowers were set in front, with some flowers and other details rendered through embroidery. She hand-painted other details, like stained-glass windows and door hinges. She outlined individual bricks and roof tiles, and filled appliquéd figures with batting to make them stand out.
Jager was born on a farm in Wantage Township and delivered by her grandmother. Her quilts are hand-tacked, machine-appliquéd, and machine-quilted.
She does historical research to make sure her buildings are accurate. She uses old photos and illustrations to render each structure as it was originally constructed. When she created the farm where her husband grew up, she couldn't find a photo of the log cabin that once stood on the property. Since she's a stickler for accuracy, she left the cabin out.
It usually takes Jager one year to make a quilt.
“No quilt is made without a complete history of the building," she said. "If it’s changed, the original is on that quilt.”
Jager is a public health nurse, and learned to quilt from a friend. But after two years of conventional quilting, she branched out to create her own style.
"I just love quilting, and I just love working with fabric," she said. "I went with landscape quilts because I want to preserve history. I’ve never sold a quilt. I’m not ready to release them."