PORTERSVILLE — The Tri-County Quilters Guild is looking for a few fellow “fabriholics.”

The 20-member group, founded in 1992, is seeking to patch a few more like-minded souls into the fabric of its organization.

For these dedicated quilters, it's not just a hobby, it's a lifestyle.

Founding member Rose Rodgers of Butler said, “Clarice (Shay of Leechburg) and I went to a retreat. There were no guilds in the area. We told everybody we were going to form a guild, and we had a meeting, and that's how we formed the guild.”

The three counties referenced in the guild name are Butler, Beaver and Lawrence, although Shay said the group wouldn't turn away someone from outside the three named counties.

Rodgers said the group meets twice a month: a business meeting and program at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at the Presbyterian Church in Portersville, 1297 Perry Highway, and a second meeting that floats between the church and members' homes.

Shay said, “At that meeting we get together and work on whatever we want to work on.”

Shay said, “We can demonstrate our techniques. If someone has a problem with a project, they can bring it to the meeting.”

Sue Roberts of Evans City said, “Quilting covers a vast area of technique, it's not just sewing. There is dyeing, art quilts, embellishments.”

Rodgers said the guild members often make items for charity, such as pillowcases that have gone to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh or to tornado survivors in Joplin, Mo., or quilts sent to Operation First Response, a charity for wounded servicemen.

Shay said “We also do storybook quilts. We get a children's book that talks about a quilt, such as 'Boy + Quilt,' and make a quilt illustrating that.”

Shay said the storybook quilts are donated to the Zelienople Public Library, which lends them out to school groups or Girl Scout troops for performances for children.

Cheryl Quinn, the guild's president, said each president also gives members a challenge. In her case, it was to make 17 strip quilts.

Jan Mellor of Mars said, “We usually have a project quilt for charity. We do baby quilts and give them to Family First Resource Center in Butler.”

“In the past, we've done a quilt as a door prize in our quilt show,” said Mellor.

This year, the guild is staging what it calls a quilt event instead of a show in October at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township.

Rodgers said the event serves several purposes: it helps raise money for a charity the guild will choose, it publicizes the guild and brings in quilting author Pat Speth to speak.

Quinn said, “There are guilds, and there are some quilters who don't know there are guilds. We are trying to get it out that we are here, so they can come for a meeting.”

Rodgers said, “We know there are other quilters because we see their names at the farm show.

Rodgers herself won a blue ribbon in the large quilt category at the Butler Farm Show.

She credits her family guild members with helping see the project through.

'I got so frustrated with this thing, and these ladies helped me. They said, 'Keep going, keep going,'” Rodgers said.

<B>WHAT: </B>Tri-County Quilters Guild Quilters' Event 2013<B>WHEN: </B>Starting at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 5<B>WHERE: </B>Pittsburgh Marriott North, 100 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township<B>WHO: </B>Quilt author Pat Speth, creator of the “Nickel Quilts,” will attend<B>FOR MORE INFORMATION: </B>Visit www.tricountyquilters.com or call 724-625-2831