Milt Prowell rises from his chair, ready to say a few words about the simple quilt he embroidered when he was 10.

“Eighty-three years ago,” he says.

The project stemmed from a 4H club.

“They made up a 4H sewing club so we could darn socks and patch overalls,” he says.

He embroidered outlines of animals on quilt squares by the light of a kerosene lantern, then his mom did the quilting by hand.

“I used it quite a bit, then the kids wanted to keep it for old time sake, so we put it away,” he says.

Prowell’s story joined others about much-loved quilts during a special gathering Thursday at Meadowbrook Place.

Rocky Morris, whose mom, Betty Green, is a resident at Meadowbrook, showed several quilts made by Betty’s mother, Erma Lorraine Emmons.

Erma went blind at 67 but she continued to quilt — she could see a distance of three inches.

Both Green and Morris helped cut quilt pieces for Emmons, and both especially remember helping with the pattern called Missouri Daisy, which Morris unfolded to show during Thursday’s event.

During the making of that quilt, Green had cut fabric for several hours in the morning. Later that day, Morris had a call from her grandma asking if she’d come cut more fabric.

When Morris asked if her mom had already been there, the response from Erma was “I’m not sure I like her colors.”

Green pipes up at this point in the story.

“And she was blind,” she says of her mother.

Erma quilted by hand. Her husband, Charlie Emmons, threaded 20 needles at a time for her, and used disappearing ink to draw the lines she needed to stitch.

“He threaded needles for 30 years,” Morris said.

Later, Morris realized how much she cherished the time spent cutting out fabric for her grandmother.

“I think she just wanted to do something with us every day,” she said.

Phyllis Badgley shared a quilt made in 1930 by her grandma, who was born during the Civil War. The pattern is “Grandmother’s Flower Garden.”

Badgley was given the quilt top as a gift when she was a child. However, when her own daughter, Joyce, had a bridal shower, Badgley’s mom presented Joyce with the quilt top.

“My dear mom had forgotten the quilt top belonged to me,” Badgley said. “Joyce, thrilled to have a gift created by her great-grandmother, ran across the room to hug my mom. I myself was surprised to see the top appear, however, I could not bring myself to dampen Joyce’s joy.”

Years later she told Joyce about the mixup, and the quilt top was returned to Badgley, who had it professionally quilted and presented it back to Joyce.

“The 1930 quilt is in good shape, and has traveled many miles to Utah, Washington, D.C., Denver, and back to Baker City where it originated 87 years ago,” Badgley said.

Al McCullough’s item isn’t a quilt, but it comes with a unique tale.

His wife Betsy, he said, would often walk her Afghan hound around town. One day she was visiting with Dr. John Higgins, who said he’d been experimenting with weaving and asked if he could have some of the dog’s hair (Afghan dogs shed a lot, McCullough said).

So they collected the hair from brushing their pet, and in turn Higgins gave them a scarf woven with dog hair he’d spun into thread.

“It’s not a quilt, but keeps the neck nice and warm,” McCullough said.

Although Alice Bacon couldn’t get her quilts here in person, her daughter sent photos. Bacon, 86, said she grew up with the one featuring various flowers surrounded by a white picket fence.

“My friends would come — we’d sleep under it and try to name the flowers,” she said.

As Morris helped pack up the quilts, she encouraged everyone to think about sharing their quilts and stories with the Eastern Oregon Museum in Haines, which will have a special display of quilts starting June 3 and continuing through Sept. 10.

“They’ll be up all summer,” said Mary Jane Guyer, who is organizing the quilt display.

Her hope is to have 50, all accompanied by the history of the woman who made them.

“It’s really the women behind the quilts that we’re focusing on,” Guyer said. “I’m afraid their history is getting lost, and there are stories to be told.”

Guyer is still looking for quilts, dating earlier than the 1970s. For more information, call Guyer at 541-523-2173 or email mjguyer44@gmail.com.

Starting in June, the Eastern Oregon Museum will be open Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is by donation.