March is designated as  Women’s History Month, and THIS is Women’s History.  In 1927, five women were invited to the College Corner home of Mrs. Martha Orr for a quilting party.  It was that wintry day that the six ladies decided to form a club.  The original crew was Martha Woodruff, Gertie Gilmore, Mollie Penticost, Millie Paxton and Bertha Earhart.  When thinking of a name for their group, Mrs. Orr’s husband noted that they were doing a lot of chattering and stitching, and thus it was official:  the Chattering Stitchers were formed. Once a month the women met, taking turns hosting and creating themed monthly occasions.  Children were welcomed at the meetings, and it was said they often outnumbered the adults.  The husbands even tagged along for the occasional picnic or night on the town.

Beginning in the early years of the club, the ladies made quilts to give to families in need, or to community members who were moving away.  One quilt made in 1930 survives today, with members’ names still visible.  Dues were collected, and monthly meetings were spent chatting and sewing, typically projects for school children, the Red Cross or local hospitals.  Educational articles were read and games played, skits and plays were written and acted out by members.  In many of the early meetings, the women sewed handkerchiefs for the local schools, as Kleenex did not yet exist! Even during wartime, when gasoline was rationed, the women met faithfully each month–there were too many organizations needing their help.

The groups the Stitchers have helped over the past century changed as the years went by, but there were many: The Civic League, the National War Fund, Union County Red Cross, March of Dimes, Ruth Lyons Christmas Fund, and the College Corner Fire Department to name a few.

Over the 95 years, the group has changed some rules and fluctuated in numbers, with a high of 28 members at one point and holding strong with today’s current five.  But through all the changes that come with time, the group has remained steadfast in their monthly gathering.  The five women who met last Thursday, Pauline “Pat” (Hubbard)  McDonough, Cindy (McIntosh) Hill, (Woodruff) Kenworthy, Mary (Pollin) Hill, Marilou (Murray) Ferris.  The women played cards and enjoyed a lovely spread of fruits and snacks (including unforgettable peanut butter fudge) at the home of Shannon Maddock. Conversation was light and filled with discussion of local happenings both past and present. There would need to be a new generation of stitchers for the group to continue, though sewing is no longer their primary goal. And perhaps it never was, as most sewing circles become about the friendships, the philanthropy, and the camaraderie. The Chattering Stitchers are no different, and after almost 100 years there is an instant sense of belonging upon entering the room. It was an honor to spend time with them.