Eleven volunteers from six communities recently participated
in the Power of the Quilt Project’s inaugural winter quilt-a-thon held
virtually on Jan. 18 in celebration of MLK Day and a commitment to service. The
event was organized by Cris Crawford.
“I was overwhelmed by the response,” Crawford stated. “With
the pandemic, we haven’t been able to hold our in-person events for almost an
entire year. It was great to have so many familiar faces greeting one another
via Zoom and working together on charity quilts.”
Folks logged in at 10 a.m. and dedicated the next five hours
to cutting fabrics, making quilt tops, and sandwiching and tying quilts by hand.
“I don’t quilt,” said Susan Weaver of Hopkinton, Mass., “but
I can sew, and I like to help. Cris taught me how to stitch together a continuous
train of 2.5” fabric to make a binding that I will now machine stitch on a
sandwiched quilt. The finishing touch is blind-stitching by hand, on the
reverse side.”
Once completed, the quilts are dropped off with Sally Demler
of Sherborn, a longtime UUAC member and fellow PQP participant. Demler is
living with cancer. She takes the finalized lap robes to the infusion unit she
visits regularly for chemotherapy treatments. Some quilts are provided to
hospice patients and others to cancer treatment centers throughout eastern
Mass.
“Every four or five weeks, I make the trip,” said Demler.
“It’s a privilege to be able to be part of this group and to supply others with
these beautiful creations. Recipients are overjoyed and typically speechless
when the nurse hands them one of these beauties. Every stitch is infused with
love.”
The Power of the Quilt Project, which began about 15
years ago, has been coordinated by a few folks over the years, including
Crawford. Since its inception, several thousand cheery quilts have been
distributed to men, women, and children who are undergoing chemotherapy
treatments.
Each lap robe is about 42” by 64” and backed in flannel to
provide some warmth to the patients as they receive their treatments. Quilts
created with animal-themed or child-centric fabrics are delivered to Project
Linus for youngsters facing hardship who are living in shelters or in a
hospital setting.
“These quilts are a bright spot in the lives of people going
through a hard time, and the Power of the Quilt Project allows us to
share our gifts and caring with others in a very meaningful way,” Weaver said,
adding, “it’s a great time of fellowship and support for us as well.”
For now because of the pandemic, quilt-a-thons will continue to be held regularly,
until it is safe to meet in person. If you are interested in participating,
contact Cris Crawford at crawford.cris@gmail.com. To find out more about the Power
of the Quilt Project or make a donation to help buy supplies, visit www.uuac.org.
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