Quilting for a cause
Each Thursday afternoon at the Waterford Retirement Community on the South Hill, a small group of women meet together in an upstairs craft room. They bring pieces of the past with them and create works of art for future generations. They are the Waterford Quilters.
The group is unique in that many of the quilts they make go either to local charities or are raffled to raise money for worthy causes. Elaine Thrush, one of the founding members of the group, has raffled several quilts for the Our Place Food Bank.
On a recent morning Thrush and her sister, Donna Pickering, showed the group the baby quilts they were working on. The small pink and blue creations will go to Our Place as part of layettes for new mothers in need.
As members sighed over the sweet creations, Margie Karavitis, a well-known award-winning quilter said, “Quilting is so peaceful.”
The hum of conversation rose and fell as busy hands smoothed fabric and threaded needles. Waterford resident Virginia Will brought a special quilt her grandmother had made 77 years ago. The soft yellow fabric has a story: Some time ago, Will met a fellow Waterford resident and found out she’d lived the same small town as Will’s grandmother. In fact, this resident had known her grandmother well. A few days later the resident found Will and gave her the quilt that Will’s grandmother had made. “I want you to have it,” she told her.
Quilts and the artists who make them always come with stories. “If you follow the rules of quilting, you’ll have a happy life,” Karavitis said. Then she enumerated, “Plan ahead, study hard, don’t seek instant gratification, if you make a mistake don’t panic and create something beautiful as well as functional.”
She then laid out a stunning ivory, green and burgundy quilt she’d made in 1997.
“The actual name of the pattern is Antique Rose, but I call it Lonesome Dove,” Karavitis said with a laugh. She pointed to the one trapunto stitched dove. “There were supposed to be several, but I got tired of stuffing,” she said.
A newer member, Deborah Webb brought a Circles of Life quilt, made with exotic, vibrant colors. She calls the quilt her recuperation quilt because she’d been gravely ill and worked on it during her recovery.
The Waterford Quilters are currently working on a group project to raise money for the Touchmark Foundation, a charity that provides programs to improve the lives of seniors. Their 16-square Cherry Rose quilt will be raffled at the annual Waterford Quilt Show.
The group shares fabric, patterns and books, and each Thursday they share their lives with one another.
Virginia Will said, “Everyone has a reason for quilting.” She paused, reflecting for a moment on the different struggles each member faces. “Each one of us has a need to be here,” she said. “Quilting is therapeutic.”