European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Three year old Adam Keith of Heidelberg learns the Tine Art of quilting from his Mother Ranny. Bonds in Art Friendship quilters Guild unites germans and americans stories by Luke Britt staff writer 1 he great american Patchwork guilt is not purely american,.a group of quilters in Heidelberg Germany has found out. The quilt was born in Europe and Quot we just added the patches a said a member of the largest German american quilt Guild in Germany. The hearts and castles quilters Guild disc Voreda Mutual love for quilting among germans and americans living in the Heidelberg area when the group. A formed in May 1 989. The group has. Grown to More than 80 members equally balanced Between the two nationalities. Quot we had no idea How Many germans Are interested in quilting a said Debbie Swackhammer one of the Guild s. Founding members. Quot i think Many of our. American members believed our country is the Only one that  but the turnout of germans at the Guild s meetings proves otherwise. The group s most Loyal members Are German 1 Swackhammer said. The Guild meets monthly in the St. Bartholomus Church in ,.a Village at the Edge of Heidelberg. The members hold quarterly workshops in which they try to spread the quilting craze by inviting guilds from other cities. They be also tried to create another generation of quilters by holding min quilt workshops for German and american children. Quot there Are German guilds and there Are american guilds a said Bonnie Russell a hearts arid castles member Quot but there in t enough mixture of the two. This blending has really broadened our perceptions of the  the american quilt is traditionally a practical creation quilters said. Although the Patchwork was colourful they were usually simple designs of durable fabrics with no frills much like the lifestyle in the Frontier Days when the Patchwork quilt was born. Quot americans Are proud of our rustic heritage a Swackhammer said Quot when quilling made a comeback in the 70s, most of us returned to the traditional Patchwork  do not have tharold of tradition to follow she said they Quill More from an artistic Point of View. Quot you might see a German quilt with. Lots of buttons or sequins a said Chris Leciejewski a German quilter who serves As the Guild s interpreter. Quot i think our american members Are sometimes surprised at How germans ignore conventional guidelines.�?�. The quilting technique began in Egypt where soldiers wore quilted material As padding under their Armor. European soldiers adopted the practice in the 12 the Century crusades. When the crusaders returned to Europe they found quilted material to be a Good source of warmth and the technique was used in making bed coverings. Quot but european quilts were generally simple and were not considered an artistic Endeavor a Swackhamer said. It was t until Pioneer women in american incorporated Patchwork into their work that quilting became colourful. These isolated women did not have Access to Large bolts of material so they had to piece together bits of spare cloth in making their quilts. In time the multicoloured creations became a source of Pride to their makers and Many traditions arose such As giving quilts before marriages and births. Quot europeans had greater Access to Large pieces of cloth so there was no need to mix colors a Swackhammer said. Quot eventually when the textile Industry grew in America Patchwork became less   Heidelberg s quilters say the germans Are not Only rediscovering the Art but. Naturalizing it As Well. A. Above Eva Gersbach 4, of Meckenheim concentrates on threading a Needle. Left pins thread and scissors Are some of the essentials needed for quilting. Quot germans do not feel the need to copy the american style of quilting a. Leciejewski said. Quot we have our own ideas about colors and designs and our quilts show that.�?�. There is a slight mixing of styles but the German and american quilts have distinguishable characteristics As was. Illustrated at a recent workshop. An american quilt depicting the Madonna cradling a baby Jesus was displayed beside a Black and Gold angular \ bauhaus style German quilt. Quot i think quilt guilds Here that do not have members from both countries Are really missing out on a wonderful cultural Exchange Quot Swackhammer said. Quot our Mutual love for quilting gives us a common denominator something to spark an interest in each  Young quilters display their finished products. A amps photos by Ken George the couple that quilts together. When the afternoon Sun is out it pours through the. Plate Glass window on the West Side of Karl Heinz suitor s Neckar Valley Home in Necka Gemund Germany. The Glare causes eyes to wince and turn from the View of old housetops and even older evergreens. On one of those Days the 69-year-old Sutler sat in the warmth at a nearby table and Drew a series of mutated triangles in a Circle on a piece of paper. The image resembled the multicoloured oversized lollypops once for. Sale in Corner drug stores. The design seemed simple. But to Suttor a ret ired mechanical and Industrial Engineer it was More than curved lines on a table Napkin. There were numbers and angular calculations All being figured in his heed. Like almost everything else in Sutton s life there s a a. Purpose for this Little drawing he wants to see a quilt made from this pattern. Quot it is not impossible to make a quilt in. This Way a Suttor said Quot but my wife said it cannot be  at his shoulder lilo his wife of 44 years gave a vigorous nod. Quot the material will not Bend like those lines Quot lilo said looking a bit frustrated. Suttor and his wife have been making quilts together. Since 1984, after lilo visited a textile museum saw a quilt display and became enchanted by the Art. They Are both members of Heidelberg s hearts and castles quilt Guild the country s largest German american Guild Suttor is the Guild s Only male member. Quot i began with Small things and simple Patchwork patterns Quot lilo said. Quot he would look Over my shoulder and examine the patterns. After a while he decided we. Should design our  using 45 years of engineering experience Suttor began designing All of his wife s quilts. Quot i spent 80 hours designing my first pattern a he said. Quot calculating the measurements and making the angles work took a Long time. Now it is becoming easier. A that quilt which Breaks Many of the traditional quilting rules now lies on the bed in the couple s guest room. The quilt depicts a scene much like the Valley outside Suttor s plate Glass window. A Hillside dotted with Trees overlooks country Homes while a Bright yellow Sun Complete with sundays shines Down from one Corner. A Rainbow stretches across the entire quilt. Lilo said Suttor does t confine himself to the usual rules of Patchwork because in his world of engineering if the numbers add up it can . Suttor partly thanks the . Military for making his life. In engineering possible. He was a German infantry Soldier when the allies overran the country. After trying to evade patrols for several Days by posing As a farmhand he turned himself Over to . Soldiers in april 1945. A Quot i was questioned by the americans for several Days. When they Learned that i was familiar w Ith european electronics a Suttor said Quot they took me toy Ranee to help develop a Telephone system for the occupation  because of his help Suttor was released after Only three months and then worked for two years to save Money to attend the University of Munich. Since graduating his career has been spent improving a country whose destruction he was on hand Tysee. ,. In 1953 he began working to develop Germany s growing agriculture Industry by designing machinery for mass Dairy production. Later he was a Pioneer in creating new forms of organic Energy. He Ott scially retired in 1979 but is now working with the government to improve the municipal infrastructure of cities in the former East Germany. Suttor admits  nearly half a Century of engineering has made him an orderly Man. He.is.mcticulou3.in his work and the  his quilts Are intricate. Sometimes lilo said they Are so detailed that they Are too a id to make.  in the 80-member quilt Guild said they envy lilo s Freedom in designing quilts. So much so that Suttor has been asked to design quilts for several women in the Guild. A Quot but he always declines a said Debbie Swackhammer a Guild member. Quot he Only wants to design them for his. Wife. Really it s wonderful to see them enjoying this together.�?�. Suttor first draws Small scale versions of his quilts. When he is sure of the design he makes an. Actual size pattern. Quot i create templates from that and lilo cuts material to match the templates a he said. Quot it is a Long process but i enjoy being a part of something my wife enjoys so much. A after a life of working almost exclusively with hard and fast rules Suttor delights in bending those rules to fit his creative urges. It s not really a stray from character though. Lilo said his curves and imagery Are the hardest patterns she s worked with. As for the Lollypop quilt she s going to give it a try though she thinks it s going to be difficult. But for Suttor the Ever pioneering Engineer the fact that it s difficult is a All the More reason to do it. A . Karl Heinz Suttor uses 45 years of engineering experience to design patterns for his wife lilo to quilt. J2 stripes Magazine january 24, Luj a 1 january 24, v t stripes Magazine 13