Archive 2008 - 2019

The Joy of Serving

by Deborah Burke Henderson
1/22/2017

Fifteen volunteers, including Elizabeth Simpson of Holliston, gathered together to work on and create handmade quilts at The Power of the Quilt Project's annual MLK Day community service quilt-a-thon at the Unitarian Universalist Area Church, First Parish of Sherborn.

In all, seven “quilt tops” were made and 14 colorful quilts were finished. The completed quilts will be given to men and women undergoing chemotherapy treatments at a Boston-based medical center.

Susan Mogren, above, a newcomer to the event, who spent time sorting through bins of cotton fabrics to mix and match color coordinated patterns to make up "quilt kits" which volunteers can take home and work on. She will measure and cut fabric at the upcoming, April 8 quilt-a-thon to create as many "kits" as she can.


We also had two other newcomers, Sarah Cohen and her (almost) 10-year-old daughter, Hadley, an accomplished sewer herself who experienced her first quilting event. She and her mom are pictured selecting solid fabric squares to match with a "kitten-themed" pattern Hadley liked. Young Hadley plans to sew together her first "quilt top" at the next event.

Above are Susan Mogren (Holliston res) with Tobi Hoffman (Ashland) who had just finished the quilt top they are showing off together.

Sally Demler (Sherborn) is hand sewing Power of the Quilt Project labels on finished comfort quilts. Sally delivers the quilts to the infusion unit at a Boston-based medical center and the staff there give the quilts to folks who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

Simpson spent the day helping to “sandwich” several quilt tops with batting and flannel backing and hand tying the three layers together. As a longtime church member, she enjoys the fellowship and mission of this work. She plans to assist at the spring quilt-a-thon to be held on Saturday, April 8, 2017, at the UUAC.

The Power of the Quilt Project, first established in 2003, is one of the UUAC's many service and justice ministries. The work of volunteer sewers and quilters from area towns contribute to making about 200 comfort quilts for distribution annually. Some are given to Project Linus to bring warmth and comfort to young children facing hardship who are staying in hospitals or shelters.

The group shot above is of the bulk of volunteers, standing around a quilt top I made. Two ladies helped me hand "sandwich" this top to batting and flannel backing and then we hand tied it, the old-fashioned way.

To RSVP for the April 8 quilt-a-thon, contact The Power of the Quilt Project coordinator Cris Crawford at cris@theworld.com. For more information about the project and to see volunteers in action, visit the PQP blog at http://www.powerofthequilt.blogspot.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments (1)

Great work, ladies! Thank you, Deborah, for reporting. The Power of The Quilt Project might not change the world, but the intentions of love are stitched into each one, hoping for comfort and healing to each recipient.

Donna Allen | 2017-01-26 06:23:20