Saturday, June 20, 2026

Pasadena Quilting Bee Invites Residents to Stitch Democracy-Themed Squares for Nation’s 250th Birthday

[photo credit: Armory Center for the Arts]

A national quilt project arrives in Old Pasadena this Saturday with a two-hour workshop open to all skill levels

Pasadena residents can pick up needle and thread Saturday morning to design quilt squares tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, as the Quilt for Democracy Project hosts a quilting bee at the Armory Center for the Arts.

The two-hour workshop, running from 10 a.m. to noon on June 20, is part of a national effort that the project says has collected quilt squares from participants across the country, according to promotional materials published in the Robert Hubbell Substack newsletter. Participants will design and create quilt tops intended, in the project’s words, to “celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday and our dreams for democracy’s future.”

No sewing expertise is required. The project’s promotional materials describe the event as open to “beginners, artists, activists and the quilting-curious.”

The venue itself adds to the event’s accessibility. The Armory Center for the Arts, a nonprofit visual arts organization housed in Pasadena’s historic 1932 National Guard Building, sits directly across the street from the Metro A Line’s Memorial Park Station. The front entrance on Raymond Avenue is level with no stairs, and designated accessible parking is available behind the building.

The Armory, established in 1989, describes its mission as nurturing the community “by creating, learning, & presenting art to advance equity & social justice,” according to the organization’s social media. More than 80 percent of its programming serves socioeconomically disadvantaged youth and families.

The quilting bee is one of two community events at the Armory on June 20. A second program, “Youth Prophecy: Futures Beyond Wildfire with Altadena Library,” runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

Space for the quilting bee is limited, and advance registration is required.

Quilt for Democracy: A Community Quilting Bee, Saturday, June 20, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon. RSVP required via quiltfordemocracy@gmail.com. Armory Center for the Arts, 145 North Raymond Ave., Pasadena. The venue is across the street from the Metro A Line Memorial Park Station; accessible parking is available behind the building. For more, call (626) 792-5101 or visit www.armoryarts.org.