A Quilt for the President
On 25 January 1995, President Bill Clinton visited Kutztown University to speak about his plan to improve education in the United States. It was the first speech about the topic since he unveiled the plan during his State of the Union address days before his visit. His trip to Kutztown included a motorcade on Main Street and meetings with local business, academic, and political leaders. In addition, he stopped by the Greenwich Elementary School on his way into Kutztown from ABE airport.
To commemorate the presidential visit, then mayor James Schwoyer asked Bettie Kelchner to create a quilt to give to President Clinton and his wife, Hillary. Bettie’s talents as a quilt maker were well-known throughout the Kutztown area, and Schwoyer knew he could count on her to create an original design grounded in traditional quilting patterns. “I don’t think President Clinton was out of town yet when Jim contacted me,” remembers Bettie. “It was five o’clock that same day.”
Bettie gathered a few ideas and met with Mayor Schwoyer at borough hall a few days later. The mayor remembered a quilt Bettie had previously made for their church (Trinity Lutheran in Kutztown), and liked a patriotic-themed idea Bettie devised using a similar design.
In a bit of an ironic twist, Bettie turned to her computer to design a sampler quilt from traditional patterns, some of which date to the 1800s. To make the quilt, Bettie recruited eleven other local quilters to help her make the twelve blocks that would comprise the sampler quilt. Bettie gave each quilter a pattern and fabric, and then left them to their sewing machines.
Once the blocks of the quilt were finished, Bettie combined them with a light border connected by deep red stars which “represent the stars in our sky; the stars that light the darkness in all our lives, regardless of race or wealth or fame or occupation or political affiliations.” The outside border framed the entire sampler in a dark print.
As all quilters know, putting together the pieces to make the quilt “top” is just the first step in creating a quilt. The next step is to quilt the top, batting, and backing together to make the final product. Quilting is a time-consuming affair; consequently, it is rarely done by just one person. In the case of the President’s Quilt, Bettie gathered a group of expert quilters and held an old-fashioned quilting bee at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kutztown. The quilters: Margaret Dietrich, Miriam Guldin, Bettie Kelchner, Catherine Kramer, Faye Leiby, Ruth Moyer, Lydia Nolt (Mrs. Jacob), Lydia Nolt (Mrs. Willis), Ruth Snyder, and Anna Wagaman. The quilters finished their work in time for Bettie to present it to Kutztown Borough Council in June 2005.
Designing and constructing a quilt can take a long time, but Bettie and her team completed the Clinton Quilt in less than six months. They didn’t know it, but there was no need to rush. It would take another year before they could get the quilt to the Clintons. As with most things in Washington, it took phone calls, personal contacts, and perseverance to set up a delivery date. Dr. Joel Weinman, a Kutztown optometrist, was instrumental in arranging the meeting, although he has never revealed who he contacted or what he said to finalize the meeting. On 21 June, 1996, (one year later), a trip to the White House was made by ten of the quilters to present the quilt to Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Unfortunately, Anne Burrows and Betty Francis couldn’t make the trip.)
The day started in Kutztown with interviews with Channel 69 News with the quilters as they boarded a chartered Bieber bus to Washington, DC. As the bus neared its destination, the excitement grew. Would the president be there? Would they have time to make a formal presentation?
The White House that day was busy as usual. Already there was the 1996 Olympic flame ceremony as well as a luncheon for the wives of U.S. senators. The quilters would be one more group accommodated by the diligent White House staff.
The bus pulled into the parking area outside the White House where the women were directed to a special appointment gate at the East Wing. Secret Service agents collected photo IDs and searched purses. The quilters took the security procedures in stride, but expressed concerned when the quilt was taken out of their possession and given to the First Lady’s staff.
After signing the White House guest book, the women were ushered into the Diplomatic Room where they waited for Hillary to arrive. After a 25 minute wait, she entered the room, applauding the women’s work. As the leader of the group, Bettie Kelchner gave a short presentation. Hillary studied the quilt with the group as each quilter described what the block she made and what it meant. Mrs. Clinton chatted with the group for about 20 minutes, then posed for some pictures.
After the audience with Mrs. Clinton, the women were treated to a special tour of the White House by Officer Hector Cuellar. The tour included areas of the White House that are usually closed to the public.
Bettie also made a booklet about the quilt that includes pictures and descriptions. Each quilter got a booklet, which was autographed by Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Clinton also received a booklet. This description of the quilt is included in the booklet:
The blocks are symbolic of people and events which are important in the development and history of our country…. The colors are also symbolic. The different shades of red, white, and blue, of course, represent the colors of our nation’s flag; but, if we look more closely, we see that the dark red fabric appears in every block. To quilters, this color represents the hearth of the home in the lives of our people and in the strength of our nation. The blues represent sky and water and the greens are symbolic of the lush forests and fertile farmlands with which we have been blessed.
