COSTA MESA : Quilt Will Illustrate City’s Diversity

They come in seven-inch blocks. Some depict crossing guards helping children. Others show street sweepers at work. Each is an original work of art.

Since November, these quilt squares have been piling up at City Hall as part of the city’s Community Quilt Project. They will be sown together to form a diverse tapestry symbolizing Costa Mesa and the people who call the city home.

“The idea is that people cherish their heritage and most people would like to share it,” said Eleanor Humphrey of the Human Relations Committee, which is sponsoring the project. “It is a conversation opener . . . an opportunity for people to meet other people.”

The city’s 11-member Human Relations Committee was formed several years ago to help build understanding and respect among different ethnic groups. The quilt is another in a series of projects designed to help break down ethnic and social barriers.

“With the influx of many different nationalities into the city, it is important to create steppingstones between these people,” Humphrey said.

One of the first to participate was Laura Malmquist, a Costa Mesa resident since 1961. When the avid quilter heard about the project, she decided it was her turn to give something back to her community.

For two weeks Malmquist diligently stitched her blocks. One is a personal statement about her work as a crossing guard at Kaiser Elementary School. The white block shows a blue-uniformed guard--detailed right down to the black leather shoes--helping youngsters safely get across the street.

“I have lived here 28 years. It is where I live,” Malmquist said. “Everyone should be involved in their community.”

The squares will eventually be made into a single community quilt during a giant quilting bee sometime in April or May.

The squares can be funny, whimsical, symbolic or solemn, but may not be commercial or political, she said. The only artistic requirement is some imagination and a seven-inch square block with an allowance of one-half inch on every side. Rear padding or bunting is not needed, because backing will be added when the quilt is assembled.

Anyone who is interested in creating a quilt square but would like to discuss it first with a committee member can call City Hall at (714) 754-5327.