Donated fabric gets new life as quilt for someone in need
A touch of comfort
Sterling residents who lose their homes or belongings to fire can rest warmer and in style this winter, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated and artistic women at the Sterling Senior Center.
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Laura Steger, Luella Barker, Charlotte Sponsel, Minerva Shipman, Rickie Bowen and Dorothy Bush, have spent their Friday afternoons making quilts for fire victims and other people in need.
"It's a dream I had for several years," said Shipman. "They're really for anyone in need."
Luella Barker works on quilt to be given to fire victims or others in need.
Photo by Jenny Neyman
The quilters meet every Friday after lunch and the exercise group are finished in the center and go to work on their quilts. They started meeting at the end of August and finished their first project, a quilt and matching pillow, in mid September.
"We've done quite a bit in that length of time," said Bowen.
The group works with fabric and patterns that were donated to the center to be used for outreach, Barker said. The amount of material stored at the center and in people's homes became an impetus to start the program.
"We had a lot of material we didn't know what to do with," Steger said. "One big piece is easier to store than a hundred little ones."
A quilt in progress; to be given to someone in need when finished.
Photo by Jenny Neyman
The women gave their first quilt to Phillip Warren, a Sterling resident and the son of the senior center's director, Judy Warren, who lost his home and belongings to a fire in August. The women started another quilt at their Oct. 12 meeting, even though they don't yet have a recipient in mind for it. They figure someone will eventually be in need of a quilt to warm their beds and their hearts this winter.
"We hope nobody will need it but it will be there when the need is there," Bowen said.
The quilt the women finished in September was formed from 12-inch squares in a crazy quilt pattern, meaning anything goes when it comes to deciding what types and designs of fabric to use.
"Anything goes" is certainly an apt description of the quilt's pattern. The fabric's colors ranged from muted pastels to bright neons. The patterns and types of fabric were just as diverse, from solid-colored corduroy to busy paisley cotton.
Minerva Shipman works on one of the quilts that will be given to someone in need.
Photo by Jenny Neyman
At first glance the quilt is a cheerful ordered jumble of colors and patterned fabrics. Every section has some highlight to draw the eye.
Upon closer inspection the smaller, less outstanding squares warrant study. These squares might lack the vibrancy of the neons and paisleys, but they make up for it in interesting content -- everything from cows and bald eagles to shamrocks and even red chili peppers.
Top stitching and yarn ties meander across the surface of the quilt, giving it a finished touch in keeping with the lively motif of the quilt itself.
Although none of the women hope their fellow community members fall on hard times, they are glad to offer their services in case someone does.
"It's an idea that's going to continue," Steger said.