About CQC

Cross Quarter Club is a creative seasonal living community for gardeners and nature lovers based in York County, Pennsylvania. Our events include quarterly craft workshops, free monthly garden potlucks, a monthly women’s circle and field trips to regional botanical gardens. We also have a free online forum (Discord) to facilitate more sharing and connection, both on and off-line. Cross Quarter Club is rooted in the neo-pagan Wheel of the Year and the traditional agrarian folk festivals that inspired it, which have endured to today as a syncretism of ancient Pagan and Christian calendar custom. We affirm that living in close connection with the Earth’s rhythms is part of our universal shared heritage as humans. CQC is a non-dogmatic, welcoming, inclusive group for cis and trans women and non-binary people of any age, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Celebrating the Season

We’ll kick off our gathering by sharing some information about the cross-quarter holiday, known traditionally as Lughnasadh or Lammas. Next, we will go around the table sharing brief introductions along with what we are most excited about this season, whether that’s something we are growing, making, doing, or a place we love to return to at this time of year. This is something we do at every CQC event, because it is so enlivening to hear what everyone else is excited about, and there are always new ideas learned and new connections made during this time!

Craft Your Own Redware Clay Ornaments

Learn some of the fascinating history of early Pennsylvania Redware pottery, including how it was mined and processed, to the role and life of the potter within the Pennsylvania German culture. Then, we’ll each get two prepared ornaments, (rolled out red ware clay with ochre slip on top.) These will form the “blank slate” onto which we’ll create designs. Using the sgraffito method, we’ll learn how to scratch through the colored slip for our designs, revealing the red clay below. All provided patterns will be taken from historic Pennsylvania German red ware, however, participants are welcome to come with their own ideas, drawings, patterns… to make each ornament their own. (Note: each will get 1 circular and 1 hexagonal ornament prepared clay piece.) Additional “blank” ornaments will be available for $12 each. After the workshop, Emily will bisque fire your pieces, cover them in a clear glaze and fire once more. Ornaments can be picked up 4 weeks after the workshop -at the location where the workshop was taught. For an extra fee, Emily can mail participant(s) their ornaments.

The Crossover of Redware and Fraktur:

Fraktur was created by Pennsylvania Germans during the eighteenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries and features calligraphic text decorated with colorful birds, hearts and flowers.  The tradition has its roots in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval Europe but evolved into a distinctive part of the local Pennsylvania German culture. At the same time, early Pennsylvania Germans were creating utilitarian red ware pieces for everyday use. The same images used in Fraktur were used on plates, bowls, and all manner of practical clay pieces.

About Emily:

Ever since sixth grade, Emily Smucker-Beidler has been creating Fraktur after learning from Roma Ruth, a well respected Fraktur Artist from Montgomery County, PA. After receiving an Art Education degree and Master’s degree in Art Education, Emily made her 33 year career in teaching art her passion, while continuing to create custom Fraktur for hundreds of clients. Ten of those years were spent teaching advanced ceramics at the high school level. Now, as a newly retired teacher, she combines her experience in both clay and Fraktur, as well as an enthusiasm for teaching to her Folk Art workshops and welcomes artists of all ages and ability levels. Learn more at emily-smucker-beidler.com

The Sharing Table: Garden Bounty Share

Our suggested theme for this season is a houseplant and perennial division swap, but plese bring anything you have in abundance to share! Other items that are relevant to the club focus on creativity and nature connection are welcome, along with items purchased from your favorite local greenhouse or farm stand. There will be a table set aside for the swap when you arrive at the pavilion. Simply drop off your offering there when you arrive then choose a few things to take home with you before you leave! The goal is that the table is empty by the end of the afternoon, so take extra to share with friends and family too!

Read: The Story of the Sharing Table

Food + Drink

We will have a light spread of seasonal snacks and refreshments to enjoy during our afternoon together.

Additional Notes

The event duration is expected to be between 2.5-3 hours.

The Carriage house is an indoor venue with panoramic views of the beautiful grounds and gardens at UUCY. Parking is available in the large lot off of George Street, in a small lot off Duke Street (ADA accessible) as well as street parking along Duke Street. The Carriage House is located directly behind the main building, down a flight of stairs from the main parking lot.

Link to UUCY on Google Maps