Sunday, May 1, 2011

Quilting for Charity

Quilts ready to go


Hard at work in the kitchen work area




Mary in the sewing room




Happy Customer


"The American way is to first feel good about yourself, and then feel good about others. But spiritual traditions say it's the other way around - that you develop a sense of goodness by giving of yourself." from Thomas Keating, Benedictine monk.

My mother and her friends have been providing blankets to Catholic Charities, Sharp Hospital, Grossmont Hospital, Polinsky Children's Center and Casa Maria for over 20 years. Their blankets make the daily routine of single moms and others a bit easier. My mother wrote a brief history of the project:

I first took a bunch of quilts to Blessed Sacrament Church for the women and children living there in the nun's house. This must have been in the late 80's or early 90's.

Later we started delivering the quilts to the current delivery location.

Donations of material, batting and thread come from many people: friends, quilting friends and from a quilt shop call Rosie's Calico Cupboard.

When I have made about 80 quilt tops I invite some friends from quilting class meet at my house and we put the backing and batting and tops together by sewing machine.

The quilts are then tied and stitched. At the end of the day some women take them home to tie them, as it takes a lot time tying them.

All of us work hard all morning then have timeout for a potluck lunch, then back to work.

During a year over 200 quilts are made for charity. This group of wonderful women enables us to make many quilts and some clothing for children. The quilts are usually crib size, which will be usable until age 5.

A big thanks to Kathy Green, who teaches quilting (and has taught for 27 years). She teaches adult education at Mt. Miguel, Foothills, and San Diego Community College.

Mary McCormick (written in 1999)
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