The stitch that binds

In a second-story room off Adams Avenue, they stitched and talked.

Then, after with a lunch break, they stitched and talked some more. For two years, that’s exactly what these ladies have loved doing from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Monday and Friday at the Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa.

These Material Girls, as they’ve dubbed themselves, make quilts for themselves and for others. It’s an old-fashioned sewing circle, quilting bee, home-away-from-home kind of situation.

“They’re just wonderful people here,� Christy Carlin, a Costa Mesa resident, said of her Piecemaker hosts.

The Material Girls recently donated some of their products to the American Legion Riders Post 17, directed by Estancia High School alumnus Bob Bennett of Manhattan, Kan.

The Material Girls do both modern and traditional patterns and utilize all quilting methods. And what do they like to talk about, other than quilting?

College football, apparently. Teams like USC, Stanford and Notre Dame.

The Material Girls aren’t looking for new members, but are always looking for donations of things like fabric. The Piecemakers, a Christian group that lives communally in Mesa Verde, also offer quilting classes. Information is available at https://www.piecemakers.com.

Peggy Barla of Huntington Beach worked on a Christmas-themed quilt Monday. She’s been at it for a while — since the mid-1990s, in fact.

“Actually, I noticed that I really did good work then, but now I think my work is not as good!� Barla said with a laugh. “For a beginner, I did really good work.�

Barbara Yeargin of Laguna Beach has been with the Material Girls since the beginning. She’s making a quilt by hand that has 12 different lighthouses from throughout the United States. It’s been a two-year project.

Sandy Hook, Diamond Head, Split Rock and Pigeon Point are a few of the lighthouses she’s chosen.

“We’re seafaring people,� Yeargin said. “We have a second home in British Columbia on Vancouver Island. I plan to hang it in that home.�

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Twitter: @bradleyzint