by Deborah Henderson
3/22/2018

Putting Love Into Action

Sixteen volunteers came together on National Quilting Day (March 17) at The Power of the Quilt Project spring quilt-a-thon to lovingly help create handmade comfort quilts for individuals undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

Holliston residents Cathie Healy and Karen Conca spent the day enjoying the fellowship and fun of sharing a common goal with others – putting their love into action.

Healy, who has volunteered at these events since the project’s inception, enjoys hand-sewing. She helped add labels to each of the 22 completed quilts that were made in advance and brought to the event for finishing.

Conca loves to be creative, and she used the “design wall” to build a 35-patch quilt top kit. She also managed organizing the lunch set up for the group as well as tackling the dishes afterwards.

Other volunteers learned the intricacies of hand-tying a sandwiched comfort quilt, coordinated fabric colors, measured, cut and combined materials to create quilt top “take-home” kits, or machine pieced colorful blocks and borders.

Three quilt tops were assembled during the seven-hour event and three more were sandwiched with batting and cozy flannel backings to be brought to Creative Longarm Partners in Marlborough for the longarm stitching process. Five of the colorful creations were hung in the Sanctuary, and all quilts will be blessed before being brought to those in need.

The Power of the Quilt Project, first established in 2003, is one of many service and justice ministries of the Unitarian Universalist Area Church, First Parish of Sherborn.

Over the course of a year, participating volunteers, contribute to making about 200 comfort quilts for distribution to men, women and children at a Boston-based medical facility who welcome the touch of a handmade item during their infusion treatments. Each patient takes his or her colorful lap robe home to enjoy.

Animal-themed and other youth-oriented quilts are given to Project Linus to bring some warmth and comfort to young children facing hardship who are staying in hospitals or shelters.

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome at any of the three quilt-a-thons the UUAC hosts each year.

To learn more about The Power of the Quilt Project’s upcoming summer kit-making event and future quilt-a-thons, email project coordinator Diane McNamara at dimcnamara@verizon.net. For more information about the project and to see volunteers in action at the recent event, visit the PQP blog at http://www.powerofthequilt.blogspot.com.