Woman's quilts show passion, obsession

Don’t refer to quilting as a hobby around Nancy Collard, the featured quilter at the April 17 Teakettle Quilters show.

“Quilting is a passion,” she said. “It’s an obsession.”

Collard, co-owner of Smoky Bear Ranch, started quilting in 2003 out of practicality. She and her husband, Scott, run a bed and breakfast and rent out three cabins at their ranch about 10 miles up the North Fork Road from Columbia Falls.

“We needed quilts for our beds,” she said. “You have to pay a lot for quilts.”

Along with a huge variety of bed coverings, Collard used the craft to cover walls with hangings and tables with runners. Many reflect her surroundings with patterns of mountains, trees, bear paws and geese.

In between quilting, she stitches up a steady supply of colorful pillowcases for members of military serving in Iraq with her son Todd Oseles. She calls the pillowcases her personal mission.

“I do it for the kids — they’re just thrilled to get them,” Collard said. “I’ve done 160 so far. It’s my way of giving back to them.”

A native of North Dakota, she first started sewing when she was 10. Collard graduated from the University of North Dakota with a degree in computer science and later got an associate’s degree in bookkeeping.

She kept on sewing apparel during married life and an active career.

“I made three-piece suits for my son,” she said. “But then I burned out on sewing clothes.”

Among various jobs, she worked for the city of Columbia Falls where she developed the Geographic Information System with her computer skills. In another job, Collard used computer-aided design as a draftsman for Harp Engineering.

When the firm closed, Collard devoted herself to working with Scott to grow and improve their hospitality business — the path that led her to quilting and eventually to a part-time job she now holds at Glacier Quilts.

Confronted with about 16 beds and a small budget, Collard had one alternative to achieve the homey cabin look visitors love.

“I started doing it myself,” she said. “I made a template and cut out material by hand.”

She used her trusty sewing machine to sew the blocks together, including one she hand-painted with the Smoky Bear Ranch name and logo. Collard said that experience taught her not to skimp on the quality of fabric and to take advantage of tools designed for the craft.

“On the next one, I was smart enough to figure out I needed rotary cutters and rulers,” she said.

One of her guests at the bed and breakfast, a quilt designer, clued Collard into the benefits of taking lessons. She took her advice and enrolled in a class with master quilter Susan Gilman, owner of Glacier Quilts in Kalispell.

For that class, Collard chose to make a complex quilt called “Underground Railroad.”

“I didn’t start with the easy stuff,” she said.

Each block — such as a bear paw, flying geese, drunkard’s path — provides a code that slaves used to escape the south, according to a story printed on the underside of the quilt. Collard plans to display this piece at the Teakettle show.

She continued her education by going to sewing days at Glacier Quilts on Thursdays at the former location on U.S. 2. She sewed at the store for three or four months, soaking up all the advice she could from Gilman.

“I was like a sponge,” she said. “I felt like I got private lessons.”

Now Collard gladly passes on those tips and help she received at quilting retreats she offers at Smoky Bear Ranch. She provided a tour of a quilter’s dream workshop in the sun-filled Grizzly Cabin.

The accommodations include cutting and pressing stations and sewing tables. Visiting quilters enjoy three days, two nights and all meals for $160 per person. Information is available at Smokybear.com.

“I do them as often as people want,” she said. “Mostly, they bring their own projects to work on. They stay here and quilt and I cook all the meals.”

Collard provides the facility and advice if participants want help. She said she doesn’t push her techniques on anyone.

“There’s not just one way to do things,” Collard said. “Everyone finds the way that works best for them.”

She has the greatest respect for artistic ingenuity. From the outset, Collard put her own spin on patterns using her computer drafting skills. She created some memorable designs such as the grand piano cover quilt she created at the request of the pastor of United Methodist Church.

Her design includes notes of the actual church music around the border. The quilting incorporates titles of favorite hymns including “The Old Rugged Cross,” “Beautiful Savior,” “Joy to the World,” “How Great Thou Art” and more.

Collard counts this as one of her favorites, reflecting her upbringing in a very musical family. She sings and her sister and brother played instruments along with singing.

“My mother was an organist for 25 years in a little country church,” she said. “I did it in memory of my mother and my brother.”

Collard has the piano cover on her growing list of pieces to display at her featured quilter’s booth. She had to scramble to get the collection together since the honor came late by default when the elected quilter couldn’t participate.

Collard had been nominated in the selection process but not elected.

“I got strong-armed into it,” she said with a laugh.

In the days remaining before the show, she hopes to finish up several more pieces. Collard said Teakettle Quilters bring pieces to display as well as sell at the show.

The quilting event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Glacier Discovery Square, 540 Nucleus Ave. in Columbia Falls.

Activities include raffles, demonstrations, vendors, exhibits and a boutique.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.