Bees

The Beekeeper and the Bees

A quilting bee is a social event where quilters join forces to work on quilting projects, often focusing on a large quilt that would be too time-consuming for one person to finish alone. Traditionally, quilting bees were community gatherings, with neighbors—both women and men—collaborating on piecing and stitching quilts. These events not only fostered a strong sense of community but also provided a space for socializing, sharing techniques, and exchanging ideas. Today, quilting bees continue in both in-person and virtual formats, preserving the tradition of communal creativity and support among quilters.

Pam Smith, Beekeeper

The Tar River Piecemakers Quilt Guild (TRPQG) features six distinct quilting bees: Busy Bees, Cutting Corners, EQ8 Electric Quilt, Happy Hooper’s, Patriotic and Sew Social.

A quilting bee is more than just a work session; it’s a vibrant social gathering where participants come together to quilt, chat, and have fun. These events transform quilting from a solitary activity into a communal experience.

Quilting bees offer a chance for people to work on individual projects or collaborate on a single quilt. They provide an opportunity to share techniques, learn new skills, and build connections within the community. Once the quilt blocks are completed, they can be collected by a bee member or distributed to ensure all pieces come together to form a cohesive quilt.

In addition to preserving the art of quilting, these gatherings foster skill-sharing, community-building, and, of course, plenty of friendly gossip!

For information about any of the Bees, contact our beekeeper Pam Smith smithpj56@suddenlink.net .

The Bees

Busy Bees strive to embody their group’s name by staying constantly engaged. Their activities are varied and communal, centered around creating donation projects, exchanging ideas, exploring new techniques, and offering mutual support for individual quilting endeavors.

Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday at 10:00 am in the Imperial Centre, Education Building, 344 Falls Rd, Rocky Mount, NC. All are welcome.

The primary goal of the Bee is to bring together quilters of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced, to quilt and share techniques.

Meetings are held on the 3rd Friday at 10:00 am in the Braswell Memorial Library, 727 N. Grace St, Rocky Mount, NC. All are welcome.

EQ8 Electric Quilt Bee utilizes a computer program designed to assist in quilt design, widely utilized by quilt designers to develop their quilt patterns.

Meetings are held on the 4th Saturday at 10:00 am in the Imperial Centre, Education Building, 344 Falls Rd, Rocky Mount, NC. All are welcome.

The quilting bee was formed with the primary goal of educating members on the embroidery functions of their sewing machines.

Meetings are held on the 3 ^rd Saturday at 10:00 am in a member’s home. All are welcome. 

The Patriotic Bee is eagerly preparing for our August meeting, where our focus will be on crafting patriotic place mats for veterans.

Meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday at 10:00 am in the Braswell Memorial Library, 727 N. Grace St, Rocky Mount, NC. All are welcome.

The Sew Social Bee provides a welcoming space for quilters to gather and pursue their individual projects. Its primary goal is to nurture friendships and offer mutual support in quilting endeavors.

Meetings are held on the 4th Saturday at 10:00 am in the Imperial Centre, Education Building, 344 Falls Rd, Rocky Mount, NC.All are welcome.