In 1982, Minnie Marchant visited the Indiana State Fair's Pioneer Village and saw that no one was demonstrating quilting. She quickly volunteered her home quilt group to fill this void. Ever since, the Piecemakers, a group that quilts at the Salem United Methodist Church in Evansville, has been a staple at the Pioneer Village. In addition to demonstrating, the group donates a one-of-a-kind quilt to be auctioned at the Fair.
Like clockwork, each Wednesday throughout the year, the Piecemakers gather at the church to quilt. Some of the members also assemble on Mondays to make a quilt for the State Fair, a project that requires more than 200 hours of shared labor and talent. "Putting a quilt together is an art -- putting the colors and designs together and being able to see it in your mind before it actually happens," explains Jane Eberhart. All of the members came to quilting in different ways. Some learned to quilt at their mother's knee while others taught themselves. The making of each quilt teaches the group more about the art and draws the circle of friends closer.
