Quilting has been her way of life

Christine Webb has made more quilts than she can count. She said she often finds her husband, Julius Webb, laughing at her response to good news.

"I always say I have to make a quilt, and he says, 'You don't have time to make everybody a quilt,' " she said.

So Webb, who has been quilting for more than 40 years, had to find another way to share her art. She started slowly by printing her work on note cards and posters. Now, her work can be seen in the book 500 Traditional Quilts as well as the accompanying traveling international exhibition.

For Webb, a 57-year-old Montgomery County resident, sewing runs in the family. Her father was an upholsterer, and her mother taught Webb and her twin sister how to sew clothing at a young age. From dolls' clothes to her own skirts and aprons, sewing was a constant in Webb's life.

When she was going away to college at Lincoln University, Webb came across an article describing how to make a quilt in one weekend. She said she stitched two designer sheets together, stuffed them with batting and took the quilt with her to college. She has been making quilts ever since.

"Most quilts aren't made in one weekend," Webb said with a laugh.

'Having retired last year from her teaching position at Joseph J. Greenberg Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia, Webb has more time to work on her pieces. But these days her quilts take months - sometimes years - to create due to the intricacy of her designs.

Webb, who lives in North Wales, finds her inspiration in the variety of fabrics on the market.

"I love bright colors, patterns, geometric shapes, African and Asian fabrics," Webb said. "I like things that are unusual."

Bonnie Kaye, director of the Northeast GED center, owns some of Webb's artwork. Kaye hung one of Webb's posters on the wall of the center, and she said the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the vibrant quilt as inspirational.

Kaye, a family friend, said she was in awe the first time she visited the Webb household.

"I felt like I was in a museum," Kaye said.

The visit inspired Kaye to research quilting, and she purchased 500 Traditional Quilts when it debuted this month. Kaye said she is amazed by the meticulous work that goes into any of Webb's quilts.

"Her artistic ability is surpassed only by her kindness," Kaye said.

However, Webb said she feared her contemporary designs might be overlooked when she submitted her quilt titled Broken Dishes in hopes of having it included in 500 Traditional Quilts. She said her husband discovered Sterling Larks Publishing was looking for submissions by browsing quilting on the Internet, and he encouraged her to enter.

She said she was shocked and excited to learn her work had been selected. Webb plans on continuing to share her art by writing her own book about quilting. She said she was still in the process of writing the book, which will juxtapose stories about quilting with photographs of her work.

Webb said so many young people do not know how to sew, and she wants to show them that sewing is not antiquated.

"It's interesting to be able to work with your hands and make beautiful works of art," Webb said. "Also, it's a good skill to have to be able to hem a pair of pants."

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