Treasured Keepsakes—SewBoji Created Quilted Masterpieces for Goodenow Family
Families have gathered from near and far for generations to enjoy the beautiful waters of Lake Okoboji. Century old cabins dot lakeshores, drawing families together year after year to make countless memories.
For the Goodenow family, Stef and Kris grew up listening to family folklore. Stories once annoyances quickly became valued treasures.
“When we were children, we thought we were being tortured sitting by the lake after dinner and having to listen to the adults talk about our history, but now we greatly appreciate those stories,” Kris Goodenow said. “They are precious family memories, and we are thankful we heard them.”
Family Folklore
The Iowa Great Lakes is considered many families’ second home, calling young and old to its shores. The area’s natural beauty, welcoming atmosphere and countless activities is what initially drew the Goodenow family to Okoboji.
“In the late 1800s, my grandfather started coming to the Lakes when he was a boy. He would later point out areas on the property, that’s where the outhouse was or that’s where we went fishing,” Kris remembered.
Farmers who settled in the Battle Creek area 150 years ago, the family claimed a vacation spot in Monarch Cove near the Methodist Camp. The fishing shack quickly turned into a bigger cabin and then became several cabins; the valued lot has now passed through numerous generations. Every July, this space alongside West Lake Okoboji becomes a special place where the family gathers from around the country.
“We’ve been coming to these particular cabins since I was in eighth grade,” she added. “The front cabin is a century cottage that was built in 1915.”
Stef and Kris’ uncle Mark previously owned the cabin, until he unexpectedly passed away two years ago. He had collected family memorbilia and continued the tradition as the family historian.
“Mark collected a lot of family things over the years, and the two-car garage at the lake was filled to the brim. We realized anything he saved was saved for a reason,” Kris said. “My sister and I have really enjoyed going through the collected keepsakes these past two summers.”
A Special Keepsake
Last summer, the sisters found a box that had their grandmother’s handwriting on it. The inconspicuous brown box seemed unimportant until they realized the treasure that lay within.
“Inside the box was quilt pieces! We had heard enough stories from our dad and Uncle Mike that my Great Grandma Helen Hollister was an outstanding seamstress,” Kris exclaimed. “Nursing was her trade, but sewing was a hobby for her. She would give out handsewn pajamas for Christmas, made beautiful quilts and loved to gift us with her handiwork.”
Kris and Stef quickly realized this unexpected treasure was Helen’s quilt pieces. “We said collectively as a family that Mark saved these pieces for a reason, and we should do something special with them,” she added.
Also within the box was a set of sleigh bells from their great grandfather, marking the cardboard container a Hollister remembrance. Kris said her great grandfather had owned a dray service horse and carriage business, making the bells another special find.
Creating Masterpieces
The Goodenow family contacted SewBoji’s Billie Jo Howard Knaack, who owns a quilting business near downtown Spirit Lake. The family put the quilt pieces into her expert hands. Their goal was to have the pieces made into several quilts, like what Great Grandma Helen would have done.
“Billie Joe was so excited about what we had found and provided us with great ideas,” Kris shared.
Billie Jo uses several quilt software programs that helped her design various options for the family. For one quilt, there were 31 10-inch blocks and 30 can fit in the desired setting.
“The computer program puts the blocks in different versions of what the quilt would look like,” Billie Jo explained. “Some of the options had sashing in-between the blocks or it would exchange colors.”
The technology also provides Billie Jo with exact yardage needed for each color and eliminates extra waste.
In the treasured box, there were three different block colors: black/blue, blue/blue, and black/red. Billie Jo created 17 images and narrowed the options down to six for the Goodenow family to select from.
The wall hanging was 52 by 62 inches, while the bed quilt was larger and used the 24 red patchwork pieces, alongside the 30 blue and black blocks. The extra blocks were put into triangles.
“The bed quilt will end up being 90x100 inches after completion. It was a bit more of a challenge with the different blocks and triangles, especially when not all the blocks were equal and needed some trimming,” she explained.
Throughout the process, Billie Jo discovered that more than one quilter was involved with the quilt pieces, as some of the stitches varied.
“It was so fun to see the different personalities in the hand stitches; I see three signatures involved and not sure who is who but there’s an expert stitch and then for sure a young child,” Billie Jo said.
Kris agreed, as she had heard her Grandma Pat didn’t enjoy sewing as much as her mother Helen, “My Grandmother Pat was not a seamstress, so it’s our guess one of the stitches was hers. But then I can hem a pant leg but definitely can’t quilt, so we are thankful for Billie Jo’s expert assistance.”
Family chose more traditional backing and designs, selecting ones that were similar to others completed by their great grandma. For instance, the wall hanging pattern included a denser quilted pattern, while the bed quilt used a wider pattern.
“We wanted to keep these quilts similar to other quilts we had of great grandma's—keep them authentic,” Kris said. “We are so excited to see the finished products this summer when we come to the Lake, which makes coming to the Lake extra special and one reason why we wanted to preserve them. The quilts are another way for my generation to keep our family’s story alive.”
The finished quilts won’t go back in a box. The Goodenow family plans to showcase them throughout the house, with one going on the wall and another used on a bed. Other pieces will be displayed throughout the Goodenow Lake Home. Each will be reminders of special family moments throughout the generations.
“Even though we live around the country, our time at the lake is away from the chaos. This is where we grew up and learned how to swim, sail and fish. Summers were also where the teenagers in the family learned how to work, most recently several worked at Parks Marina and Barn Swallow,” Kris said. “We want to continue this for future generations, and we are so thankful our family gets to come to the Lakes every summer. We are truly an Okoboji family!”
This July 2025, the family will take a moment out of the year and add new memories to thousands of others. More family stories will be told to new children and even more special, family folklore will be shared about several special quilts stitched many years ago—in love.
SewBoji is located near downtown Spirit Lake, where Billie Jo continues her own family’s extensive history of quilting. After the invention of the rotary cutter in the 1980s, Billie Jo’s grandparents designed, cut, pieced and quilted over 1,000 quilts, selling them nationwide.
“This was before online stores were even an option,” Billie Jo said. “My dream was to always follow in their footsteps, and in April 2024, I opened SewBoji. Adding my own modern skills to their expertise my tagline is where ‘Technology Meets Tradition.’”
An expert quilter, Billie Jo also designs bags for Old Alley Quilt Shop in Sherburn, MN, as well as teaches bag making classes from her home. For expert quilting advice or assistance in any quilting projects, visit sewboji.com or call 712.209.6554 for an appointment.