For over 30 years quilts have accompanied graduating high school seniors; they’ve been sent to distant countries; they’ve comforted the cold and homeless. It’s love created through the dedication, skill, and hearts of quilters who gather weekly.
Each Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m., a half dozen women meet at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church to enjoy social life and their shared hobby, quilting. For three decades their goal of giving away their skill has been non-stop with a couple small breaks during their year of work. And with only an occasional fundraising event, a lot of ingenuity goes into shopping Goodwill for fabric bargains. The group acquires cotton fabric; they purchase batting; they accept donations from the community of blankets in good condition; they seek out yarn for tying.
This month the quilters’ success resulted in a shipment of 30 packed and delivered quilts to Lutheran World Relief that oversees distribution to foreign countries and those in need. The quilters are able to ship one or two times a year in addition to their gifts for graduating seniors.
The regulars to weekly quilting are: Lori Lyon, Carol Shakerley, Susan Standish, Betty Alder, Vivian Moe and Kathy Fix. They encourage other members of the community, both men and women, to join them – no experience is necessary. Skills needed range from those who can sew and can thread needles to those who would like to learn the entire process from scratch.
The quilting team is currently seeking donations to pay for the ‘all around the world’ shipping cost of $75. Contact Carol Shakerley, 425-413-1382, if more information is needed for attending the quilting team, or for fabric and monetary donations.
