| Barb Gahring |
| Copyright 2008, Castle Path Quilting, All Rights Reserved |
Quilting in close quarters can be quite a challenge,
but Georgetown resident Barb Gahring has
evidently succeeded, given her history of making
quilts while away from home.
When Barb’s husband, Don, retired in 2002, they
began serving in a program sponsored by the
Lutheran Church, called Laborers for Christ. When
they get a call, they close up their permanent
home, pack their mobile home and travel to their
assigned city where they may assist a team of
church members and workers to build or remodel
churches, schools or other church-related
structures.
According to Barb, service with Laborers for Christ
offers spiritual, physical and social rewards. Quilting
provides an enjoyable pastime on these tours.
While on their first assignment, in rural Michigan,
Barb became a grandmother of twin babies, a boy
and a girl. Each baby got a new quilt made by Barb
while on this tour.
but Georgetown resident Barb Gahring has
evidently succeeded, given her history of making
quilts while away from home.
When Barb’s husband, Don, retired in 2002, they
began serving in a program sponsored by the
Lutheran Church, called Laborers for Christ. When
they get a call, they close up their permanent
home, pack their mobile home and travel to their
assigned city where they may assist a team of
church members and workers to build or remodel
churches, schools or other church-related
structures.
According to Barb, service with Laborers for Christ
offers spiritual, physical and social rewards. Quilting
provides an enjoyable pastime on these tours.
While on their first assignment, in rural Michigan,
Barb became a grandmother of twin babies, a boy
and a girl. Each baby got a new quilt made by Barb
while on this tour.
MOBILE QUILTER
The Gahrings have served in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Louisville, Kentucky and Statesville, North Carolina and
their tours of service range from three to eight months at a time.
Barb retired from a nursing career which included head nurse experiences in intensive care and medical-
surgical units. She started quilting in the late 1970s when she and a fellow nurse took a hand piecing class
together. Hand appliqué is still very much a passion for Barb.
Barb tells a moving story of an experience she had while visiting her mother-in-law in Iowa, where they found a
little quilt store in the city of Ajo that was only opened on Saturday. Her mother-in-law found a challenging
piece of multi-colored fabric that she liked and Barb set out to create something with it, unbeknownst to her
mother-in-law.
The finished product, which included folded flowers, was quietly entered in an Iowa quilt show and Barb took
her mother-in-law to see the quilts that year, without any advance warning that she herself had a quilt in the
show. Imagine her mother-in-law’s surprise just to see Barb’s masterpiece. The icing on the cake was
learning that Barb had made the beautiful quilt just for her.
After about 4 decades of quilting, how does Barb continue developing her quilting skills? Barb says it’s her
willingness to explore the unfamiliar. She leans toward muted colors, but in her recent companion wildflower
quilts, she challenged herself to use brighter colors. Her latest work was displayed at the Georgetown Quilt
Show in April 2008.
their tours of service range from three to eight months at a time.
Barb retired from a nursing career which included head nurse experiences in intensive care and medical-
surgical units. She started quilting in the late 1970s when she and a fellow nurse took a hand piecing class
together. Hand appliqué is still very much a passion for Barb.
Barb tells a moving story of an experience she had while visiting her mother-in-law in Iowa, where they found a
little quilt store in the city of Ajo that was only opened on Saturday. Her mother-in-law found a challenging
piece of multi-colored fabric that she liked and Barb set out to create something with it, unbeknownst to her
mother-in-law.
The finished product, which included folded flowers, was quietly entered in an Iowa quilt show and Barb took
her mother-in-law to see the quilts that year, without any advance warning that she herself had a quilt in the
show. Imagine her mother-in-law’s surprise just to see Barb’s masterpiece. The icing on the cake was
learning that Barb had made the beautiful quilt just for her.
After about 4 decades of quilting, how does Barb continue developing her quilting skills? Barb says it’s her
willingness to explore the unfamiliar. She leans toward muted colors, but in her recent companion wildflower
quilts, she challenged herself to use brighter colors. Her latest work was displayed at the Georgetown Quilt
Show in April 2008.