From bedding to weddings and farewell presents for parting pastors, the giving of quilts as gifts and the passing on of quilting traditions has crossed generations and continents.聽
It was a custom until quite recently, it seems, because although many of us grew up experiencing the warmth of a quilt at night, the craft of stitching one together is less familiar.
鈥淢y grandmother was a quilter and I grew up sleeping under quilts that I loved, but my mom didn鈥檛 sew, though I鈥檇 always wanted to,鈥� said Wendy Winstanley, vice-president of 麻豆社国产Quilters Guild.
To change all that, she promised a quilting friend that she鈥檇 make graduation quilts for each of her children.聽
鈥淪he phoned me the year my first son graduated and said, 鈥榊ou鈥檇 better learn to quilt this summer because he鈥檚 going in September! I鈥檒l teach you. Let鈥檚 go shopping.鈥欌��
That was 19 years ago and she hasn鈥檛 stopped quilting since.
This generous, selfless sharing of knowledge and skills seems to be at the very soul of quilting and of quilters.
When Karen Fecho, the guild鈥檚 president, joined as a beginner nine years ago she was welcomed. She came to learn how to create quilts for her grandchildren, but what she discovered was not only a love for a new craft, but a group of warm, giving, caring people who grew to become dear friends.
鈥淚鈥檝e formed genuine friendships through the guild that I didn鈥檛 expect. These people care about you and will share not only their talent in quilting but their whole life experiences. It鈥檚 a true friendship and a bond that I didn鈥檛 expect.鈥�
Though many of the current 27 members are retired with many years of quilting experience, their newest 鈥� and youngest 鈥� member is working on her first quilt, which will be for her baby.
Although arriving as a beginner can feel intimidating, Fecho explained, it needn鈥檛 be.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a comfortable setting and not one to be fearful of. We all started somewhere and we still remember that. We all love sharing our knowledge and you鈥檒l be amazed at how far you come along,鈥� said Fecho.
This generosity and sharing also spreads to the giving of quilts as gifts to the community.
鈥淲e鈥檝e all made quilts for our whole family and have them piled on our couches, and we still want to keep making them, so we make them and give them away,鈥� said Winstanley.
When a local family lost everything in a fire last year, the quilters put together a package of quilts for them.聽
鈥淭hey had lost all of their favourite things. At least they would have a little homemade thing to snuggle,鈥� said Winstanley, who added that receiving a quilt can be like receiving a hug.
There鈥檚 very often a quilt hanging above the fireplace in the library, too, and one in the hospital. They鈥檝e also been donated to women鈥檚 shelters, premature baby units, hospices and fundraisers. Even the first 麻豆社国产baby born in the New Year receives one.
鈥淭he gratitude is so fulfilling that it just makes your world,鈥� explained Fecho.聽
鈥淵ou just feel how small am I and how thankful I am to God that I can help through the mere giving of a quilt. Quilts are so tactile and so communicative. Here you are doing something you love and it鈥檚 appreciated so very much.聽
鈥淲hen I took the premature quilts to 麻豆社国产General Hospital, I鈥檓 pretty sure I felt way better than they did. These people are going through troubled times and you comforted them in that moment of grief and vulnerability. It鈥檚 hard to explain, but it鈥檚 almost more rewarding than you would expect.鈥�
The 麻豆社国产Quilters Guild鈥檚 current focus is on projects to celebrate Canada鈥檚 150th anniversary.
The first is a detailed quilt created by the members just for Squamish, depicting many typical Canadian scenes 鈥� bears, beavers, maples, mountains and geese.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to hang it in the library in the summer around Canada day, and then it鈥檒l be available just to hang around town. Eventually we hope to donate it to the new hospice,鈥� said Winstanley.
Also keeping them busy is participating in Canada鈥檚 possibly biggest ever quilting bee. Almost 90 guilds across Canada are working as one to create 1,000 quilts to donate to Canadian Ronald McDonald Houses, where families of seriously ill children can stay while their child is being treated in a hospital nearby.
There will be two quilts for every room and, at the end of their stay, the families will be able to take their quilt with them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really dear to my heart,鈥� said Winstanley. 鈥淭his year my girlfriend鈥檚 granddaughter has been at a Ronald McDonald House and was there for seven months, so when I heard they were making quilts for them I wanted to be involved.鈥�
For the past few months, members have been stitching together squares (or blocks) of fabric destined for a four-day stitch-a-thon in Toronto, where an army of volunteers will transform them into larger quilts for the children and families.聽
鈥淎n hour of your time to put together a quilt top is nothing compared to the trials that they鈥檙e going through. If that can give them a hug and support, it鈥檚 worth it,鈥� added Fecho.
Working on joint projects or community quilts is a great way to get started with quilting, explained Winstanley.
鈥淪imply turn up with a sewing machine. If you don鈥檛 quilt yet, don鈥檛 worry about buying fabric right away. We can show you how to get started with some of our community quilt fabric.鈥澛�
There are also some very easy patterns that you can start with, and can make some beautiful quilts just with straight sewing and cutting, she explained.
Be careful, though, she advised. Quilting can become addictive.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 always thinking, just one more little bit; just one more square; maybe I鈥檒l finish this row.鈥�
鈥淲hen my husband watches television, I sew,鈥� said Judy Crowston, whose mum was one of the 麻豆社国产Quilters Guild鈥檚 founding members when it formed in 1996.聽
鈥淚 find it a productive use of your time, and relaxing. The learning is also endless. There鈥檚 always something new coming out,鈥� she said.聽
And, at the end of it, you have a quilt to give someone, explained Winstanley, who loves escaping to her sewing room to play around with fabrics 鈥� almost as much as she loves escaping on fabric-hunting road trips with quilting friends.
The guild meets on the first Wednesday of the month (except for July and August) at the Sandman hotel for a 鈥渟ew day,鈥� in addition to an evening meeting later that night. Anyone interesting in quilting is welcome to attend.
For details, visit squamishquilters.wordpress.com.
Photo Credit: David Buzzard
