Features Overview

Founded in 1982

 Once upon a time, a quilter y the name of Sally Tanner came from Tampa, Florida and pleaded with the owner of a fabric shop in Key Largo at Mile Marker 96, to place quilting fabric in her shop. Sally then placed a notice in the shop, advertising that she would teach quilting in her home on Saturday Mornings.

The first class started in December 1979. The classes were for 12 weeks and 16” blocks were made for a sampler quilt.

In 1980, the Friendship Quilt Club was formed with 13 members in attendance. The rules of the club were that meetings would be held in the homes of the members for lunch with the object being the exchange of ideas and improvement of quilting skills.

There were to be no officers and no dues. One rule of the club was that “it is against the rules to move away” of which that rule has been violated. There is only one person of the original group still around and that is Judy Ebbert.

In 1981, a quilt show as helt at “The Old Church Community Center". A second quilt show was held the following year and a third show was at the Francis Tracy Garden Center since the show had outgrown the space that the Community Center. The quilt show was held at the garden center until 1994, when it was decided to hold the show at the Key Largo Library in celebration of National Quilting Day.

In 1982, the name of the group was changed and a formal club was established with elected officers and bylaws and the name was officially changed to “The Florida Keys Quilters”

There are currently 72 members. The object of the guild still remains, friendship, exchange of ideas and improvements of quilting skills.