Quilters stitch special thank you gift for Maple View

NEWS RELEASE
STITCHES FROM THE HEART QUILTING GUILD
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The Sault’s Stitches from the Heart Quilt Guild presented ‘The Quilt of Love’ to Wanda McQueen and Nancy Powley from Extendicare Maple View in Sault Ste. Marie at their December meeting as a small token of appreciation for providing free meeting space for several months for Comfort Quilts while their usual meeting room Upstairs at Rome’s wasn’t available during renovations.

It was important to find a temporary space for Comfort Quilts because on average, approximately two dozen members of the Guild meet on the second Wednesday of each month to volunteer their time and expertise to sew beautiful quilts which are donated to members of the community who have chronic illness or a life-threatening illness in an effort to provide them with comfort.

The quilts are distributed through organizations to individuals who meet the criteria for receiving a Comfort Quilt. As Susie Kainula, Chair of Comfort Quilts explains “Wrapping yourself in a quilt is like getting a hug.  Quilts provide warmth and comfort especially when they are handmade with lots of love.” 

The Stitches From the Heart Quilt Guild provides a small budget annually to Comfort Quilts to purchase things like batting and other supplies, the members volunteer their time and expertise to piece the quilt tops and quilt them, Rome’s donates the meeting room while members from the community donate quality cotton fabric for the quilt tops and backs.

“It’s win, win” explains Susie “as quilters are very generous people who love to sew and individuals who are shut-ins or have terminal illness love to get them. It’s a small gesture to provide comfort and support ”. 142 quilts were made and donated through organizations this past year alone!

Members of the Guild offered to make Extendicare Maple View a special quilt to thank them for the use of their facility for several months when they needed a temporary meeting room so that they could continue making quilts for the community. Maple View requested a special quilt that could provide a caring and discreet veil for residents who have passed to ensure their dignity and minimize stress for other residents. The quilt will stay at Maple View. 

Isola Purificati, Vice President of the Guild, took the lead for this project and requested blue batiks from members who generously donated the fabric. Isola planned the quilt design, sewed most of the quilt top with some help from other members and then created the beautiful appliqued doves and the white dove label on the back.  It was quilted by Auntie Susie’s Quilting.  

Stitches from the Heart Quilt Guild was formed in 1995 and has 137 members all of whom enjoy quilting. We meet monthly on the fourth Monday of each month at the Senior’s Centre at 619 Bay Street at 7:00 p.m.  We welcome visitors and new members who are interested in quilting.  Each meeting features fun opportunities to develop new skills like Block of the Month, UFO challenges and wraps up with an inspiring members ‘show and share’.  Check out the quilts shown at last month’s meeting on our website at www.saultquilts.com   or Facebook at www.facebook.com/StitchesFromTheHeartQuiltGuild

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