JOIN US for the WINTER Quilt-a-thon: MON., JAN. 20

SAVE the DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020

Before I chat about the Fall Quilt-a-thon sponsored by The Power of the Quilt Project at the Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn, Mass., I wanted to ask that you mark your calendars for the MLK holiday in January which marks our next gathering.

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome! 

We simply ask that you RSVP to Project Coordinator Diane McNamara at dimcnamara@verizon.net, so she will know how many folks to expect for lunch!

Now, on to our event held November 9th!

Thank you to our hard-working volunteers who are adding 

the PQP label to finish each comfort quilt.

Nine volunteers joined in for the day, busily crafting quilt tops, checking their composition on our makeshift "Design Wall" and sandwiching and hand-tying some of the finished tops.

A reporter from The Hometown Weekly News joined us for over an hour and delighted in interviewing folks as to their involvement and what it means to them. For many, the response was "the fellowship experienced" and "the worthiness of the mission." This news outlet has been good to us and the editor calls our event, "the quintessential community news we like to cover."

Eleven (11) colorful lap robes were machine stitched at home by various volunteers and brought in for labeling. Five quilts will be hung in the Church's Sanctuary, after all of them have been blessed.

Claire Morrone of Walpole joined us and created a quilt top 

from one of our kits. Like many, she's a seasoned quilter who loves sewing 

just about every day!!

Fun Fact: Claire is Diane's sister!!!

Diane made an amazing harvest vegetable soup for our lunch and had a delightful array of cheese, crackers, breads and spreads for us. Dessert, too! Everyone enjoyed sharing stories around the Church's kitchen table.

There's not much better than gathering with a wonderful group of caring people who pour their hearts into creating quilts of joy for others who are undergoing difficult challenges.

2019 Annual Report

The Power of the Quilt - 2019 Annual Report

“I am writing to say thank you so much for my beautiful quilt that was given me on my 4^th chemotherapy treatment. What a wonderful way to say to so many of us in treatment that you care. God bless all of you angels. 

Always, Grace.”

A modest donation was inside the card with this note. This is just one acknowledgement The Power of the Quilt Project received this year, and it makes all the hours put into the Project worthwhile.


We held three Quilt-a-thons this year—November, January and March, as well as a summer “Kit-Making Party,” with about 35 people participating onsite. Many more quilts are completed in participants’ homes, and the POQ “angels” include those who regularly show up with armfuls of beautiful comfort quilts needing only to be labeled.


We completed 66 quilts, several of which were given to UUAC members and friends for gifting to the too-many loved ones we know who are battling cancer.


I would like to thank all the helpers—the quilters, cutters, finishers, sandwichers, labelers and fabric donors. A special shout-out to Deborah Burke Henderson for her PR work, Karen Conca for handling lunches, Cris Crawford for her incomparable quilting expertise and Sally Demler for distributing quilts at the infusion center while spreading good cheer on behalf of the POQ.


                                                                                -Diane McNamara, POQ Coordinator

THIS WELCOMING COMMUNITY OF QUILTING

All of you readers already know this, but I am still fairly new to the quilting community and continue to love and admire how welcoming quilters are with one another and especially with newcomers and novices. 

Saturday, March 16 was National Quilting Day.

Fifteen volunteers gathered from all over MetroWest - from Milton to Holliston to Bellingham to participate in The Power of the Quilt Project and its all-day winter quilt-a-thon event, hosted by the UUAC, First Parish in Sherborn.

In all, 20 completed comfort quilts were brought in by several volunteers who enjoy creating these colorful lap robes in the months between quilt-a-thon events. That gave those volunteers who were hand-sewing quite a busy day!

Two quilt tops were sandwiched and hand-tied. One quilt top was sandwiched with batting and a lovely, pink breast cancer awareness motif cotton flannel to be taken to a professional Longarm for top-stitching.

Other volunteers selected, measured and cut coordinated fabrics to make take home quilt-top kits, machine stitch quilt tops onsite and coordinate a delicious lunch.

Here are a few images from the day, including a great group shot.

Holliston residents all: Vicky Charnock, Cathie Healy and newcomer Martha Bate who created the beauty Cathie is holding and donating it to 

The Power of the Quilt Project.

All smiles: Kace Wilson traveled from Milton to Sherborn (again) to join us. She's dedicating this year to creating "improv" designs and loves playing with fabrics.

Project Coordinator Diane McNamara, Dorothy Ripaldi of Bellingham and Carol Coakley of Dover enjoy the art of hand-tying these comfort quilts.

Taking a quick break before a delicious lunch, organized by Karen Conca of Holliston (at far right). Thanks, Karen!!

Five beauties gracing the Sanctuary.

All quilts will be blessed before being disseminated to area medical facility infusion units.

If you are interested in participating in a future quilt-a-thon event or our summer kit-making party, contact Diane McNamara, project coordinator, at dimcnamara@verizon.net.

Keep your eyes posted for upcoming dates!!!

Happy Sewing.

IN HONOR OF MLK

Despite the chilly weather and icy roads, eight volunteers gathered together on Monday, January 21st, for The Power of the Quilt Project's annual MLK Day community service quilt-a-thon.

Volunteers brought in 11 completed comfort quilts from "take-home" kits and Cindy Levine and Helen Sicotte of Natick, Mass. hand-sewed labels on to ready the quilts for distribution to a Boston-based medical center's infusion unit.

Newcomer Cindy Levine and Helen Sicotte

Karen Conca of Holliston, learned how to hand-tie several "sandwiched" quilts and assembled the great luncheon - a delicious minestrone soup made by PQP Coordinator Diane McNamara along with corn bread, cheese and crackers, etc. 

It sure was nice having something homemade and HOT for lunch on a day that only reached about five degrees.

Karen Conca

Cris Crawford and Dorothy Nail of Sherborn and Ashland, respectively, machine-stitched quilt tops during the event. Cris has come to be known as the problem-solver in our group. If there's a quilt that needs some specific attention, she's happy to take it on and work out any kinks until it's perfect. She also loves designing intricate creations and has a flair for putting together great colorways.

Cris designs a quilt for a youngster, using animal-themed fabrics.

Somehow, Dorothy manages to sew two quilt tops each time she joins us. Something that might take me one or two sessions to finish!

Susan Webber of Hopkinton joined in for a few hours and was kind enough to take three quilts home so that she can affix labels on another day. She will meet Diane at some point and drop off the quilts for distribution.

Susan Webber is also part of the Yarn Spinners

here at the UUAC. Check out the beautiful handmade scarf!

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL FOR A VERY

PRODUCTIVE DAY!!

Helen joined The Power of the Quilt Project

when it first started back in 2003. A close friend, a quilter,

lost her life to breast cancer. 

Helen donated her friend's unused fabrics and has been

creating comfort quilts ever since.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR SPRING QUILT-A-THON:

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2019.

To RSVP, contact Diane McNamara by email:

dimcnamara@verizon.net