850 GOOD NEWS: 30 quilts and counting; local finds purpose through fabric

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Dianne Daigle has always had an interest in quilting, but it wasn’t until she retired around 2020 that the hobby became something more. In 2021, she connected with a member of the St. Andrews Bay Quilters’ Guild — and her approach to the craft changed.

“That is where I really took off,” Daigle said.

Through the guild, Daigle began learning what she describes as the true art form of quilting.

“There’s three parts to a quilt: the back, the middle and the top,” she said.

The top is the design. The middle provides warmth. The back holds it all together. Despite the progress she has made, Daigle still considers herself a novice.

“I love it, and I try real hard, but I get better every day,” she said.

Her earlier pieces show a clear progression toward the work she is producing now.

“You take a perfect piece of fabric, and we cut it up and put it back together. That is just foreign to some people, but it makes a beautiful statement,” Daigle said.

Inside her home, Daigle has a dedicated sewing room filled with fabric, thread and ongoing projects.

“I could sit in here for hours and just sew,” she said.

Some of Daigle’s most personal projects are memory quilts — pieces built around the lives of the people she makes them for.

“Some of them have a story,” she said.

She made one for her sister after their mother passed, one for a nephew who loves bowling, and another for a brother-in-law centered on his hobbies. She is currently working on a quilt for her daughter and a Quilt of Valor for her husband, a decorated Navy veteran.

“I try to take something they like and put into it,” Daigle said.

She estimates she has made about 30 quilts in total.

“For a long time, I gave away everything I made,” she said.

Some quilts take three months to complete. Others take more than a year.

Daigle recommends the St. Andrews Bay Quilters’ Guild for anyone interested in learning to quilt. The guild meets twice a month and also hosts sewcials, retreats and other events. Prospective members can apply through the guild’s website at sabqg.org.

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