Quilters Patch Together Family Memories

The bundle of ties could easily have been donated to charity after the owner’s death. But the neckwear has found a new life: It will be crafted into a keepsake quilt for the man’s family.

“Her father had beautiful ties, and she didn’t want to just throw them away,” Carla Marvin, a 12-year member of Coto Quilters, said of the man’s daughter.

Quilting through the centuries has evolved into a way of creating a tapestry of family life and memories, members of the Coto de Caza group say.

Samples of work from Coto Quilters, along with antique quilts from members’ personal collections, are now on display at the Rancho Santa Margarita Library.

Included are quilts made by founding member Peggy Klein, whose three grandchildren have never been swaddled in anything bought in a store.

“When my grandkids are born, I make four to six quilts for them,” said Klein, who figures she has sewn about 120 quilts in the past 20 years.

Reminiscent of the quilting bees of pioneer days, Coto Quilters’ dozen members meet regularly to share work problems, family matters, recipes and community sports and their needlework.

Their pastime is a welcome respite, they say, from the frenetic pace of living in Southern California. Making a quilt typically takes at least 160 hours.

“In the early years in particular, you knew all the families, all the children. It was very small and hometown-like,” said Klein, who is one of the original group of homeowners. “Quilting is also very much about family.”

Marvin said she is not only a quilter: “I’m also a collector because I love the history of quilts.”

Membership in Coto Quilters is open to anyone, Klein said. Information: (714) 858-0527.