Amish quilting tradition faces uncertain future

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SAY IT'S A LOST ART AND IT TRULY DOES BECOME A LOST ART. WGCU’S CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE SHOWS US AN EXAMPLE THAT HAS LASTED FOR GENERATIONS AND HOW IT JUST MAY BE COMING TO AN END. >> EVERY THURSDAY, A TROLLEY PULLS UP OUTSIDE SCHOOL SHOP IN SARASOTA. A FEW DOZEN TOURISTS AND THEIR CAMERA PHONES. THEY'VE COME TO SEE SOMETHING RARE. AMISH AND MENNONITE WOMEN. HE AND QUILTING. HERE'S WHAT THE TOURS DO NOT KNOW. THE DAUGHTERS OF THESE WOMEN PROBABLY WILL NOT DO THIS. AND MOST OF THEIR GRANDDAUGHTERS ARE INTERESTED EITHER. SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LAST GENERATION FINISHES ITS FINAL QUOTES? THERE AREN'T NEARLY AS MANY PEOPLE. IN INTERESTED IN DOING. WHAT WE DO. THE YOUNGER KIDS. THEY'RE MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT? I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT GEN Z IS. IT JUST SAYS AND THE OTHER OBVIOUS LADIES, THEY WOULD RATHER THE WORK AND HAVE A JOB. >> BEFORE PHONES, EVEN BEFORE CARS, QUILTING WAS HOW ISOLATED FARM WOMEN. SO ONE ANOTHER, IT WAS COMMUNITY AND THERAPY ROLLED INTO ONE. >> IT'S TIME TO GET THE OTHER WITH FRIENDS AND PEOPLE COME IN HERE. WE CAN VISIT THAT. GETS US OUT OF THE HOUSE. >> HELLO TOY. NEVER WANTED TO RUN A CLOTHES SHOP. SHE HAD A BUSINESS DEGREE AND A DIFFERENT LIFE PLANNED. >> MY MOM AND DAD WERE SNOWBIRDS IN MY IT WAS THE SNOWBIRD. I SAID YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO. SO I'LL OPEN A LITTLE SHOP FOR YOU INTENDING TO BE JUST A SMALLER PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GO AND IT'S EQUIPPED WITH THEIR FRIENDS. I DIDN'T INTEND TO REALLY BE A RETAIL STORE TO BE A FABRIC STORE. WE WERE JUST GOING TO. >> KEEP THEM BUSY. THE INTEREST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD GREW FAST, PUT A SIGN UP DOWN AT THE PINE CRAFT. >> AND SAID ANY LADY THAT WANTS TO DO SOME HAND QUOTING. AND THEN I PAY THEM A LITTLE BIT. NEXT THING I KNEW I HAD PEOPLE THAT CAME UP CITIES AND STATES WITH MY MOM AND MY AUNT. AND THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED. >> THE SHOT BECAME A GATHERING PLACE. THEN CAME A TURNING POINT. THEN MY MOM DIED. >> AND THEN MY AUNT DIVE IN HERE WE HAD THIS COULD SHOP IF THIS TRADITION WAS SO VALUABLE. >> WHY ISN'T A YOUNGER GENERATION TAKING PART? >> WHEN WE ASKED EACH OF THE QUILTERS ABOUT THEIR DAUGHTER'S, YOU COULD SEE IT ON THEIR FACES. THIS WAS THE QUESTION THEY DID NOT WANT TO ANSWER. MY DAUGHTER'S NEVER CARED FOR IT. DO YOU? >> HAVE ANY WORRY IF THEY DON'T TAKE AN INTEREST IN, IT WILL HAPPEN. SOMETHING USEFUL ALIGNED. HE KNOW. DOES BOTHER ME AT ALL KNOW. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T FORCE SOMETHING ON HIM >> YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO THAT AND WE DID TOO. >> I I THINK ARE WHEN THEY GET OLDER, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THIS. >> YOU THINK THEY'LL GROW INTO? I THINK SO. YES, I HOPE THEY DO. MAYBE THEY'RE RIGHT. >> REGIONAL BURKE HOLDERS, 28 FROM SUGARCREEK, OHIO AND 3 GENERATIONS OF WOMEN IN HER FAMILY HAVE QUILTED. WELL, MOM USED TO PUT A BUILDING IN THAT HOME AND WE'D LIKE TO HELP HER. >> SO I DON'T KNOW IN MY TEENS PROBABLY IS WHEN I STARTED. >> HE TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT IT. HER GRANDMOTHER CAN'T ANYMORE. >> SHE SIC AND BACK HOME. MY GRANDMA USED TO COME END QUOTE. >> DID THAT FOR MANY YEARS. AND >> SHE CALLED IT A LOT AND IT WAS AN INCOME FOR HER. SO SHE COULD BE DOWN HERE FOR THE WINTER. >> TOY KNOWS BURKHOLDER IS THE EXCEPTION. >> YEARS THAT THE OLD GUARD AND THOSE LADIES LIKE MY MOTHER AND MY AUNT THAT WERE RAISED IN AN ERA WHERE THEY HAD TO DO THIS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BLANKETS FOR THEIR FAMILY. >> WELL, THE LAST GENERATION OF CULTURES IS GONE. THE TRADITION CHANGES. >> IT'S REALLY AN ART FORM AT THIS POINT. IT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO. SOMETHING HEALTHY. IT INSTILLS PATIENTS. >> JUST THE COMPANIONSHIP. >> AS MOSTLY WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT IT. I WOULDN'T ENJOY DOING IT BY MYSELF. SO, YEAH, I I COME IN HERE MOSTLY FOR THE COMES ME. >> FOR NOW, THE TOURISTS KEEP COMING AND THE WOMEN KEEP QUILTING. BUT IN THE DECADES TO COME, THE FRAMES MAY BE PUT AWAY. WHAT WILL REMAIN ARE THE QUILTS AND THE YOUTUBE TUTORIALS LEFT BEHIND FOR WGC. YOU NEWS. I'M LISBETH AND RG.