Volunteers create quilts for hospice patients' families
There are stories in every person's wardrobe. Sorting through clothing can unbutton memories that inspire smiles and tears, especially if it belonged to a loved one who has died.
There is the flannel shirt he always wore on weekends. Here is the apron she wore every Christmas. The denim pants are well worn from kneeling in the garden.
Families associated with Good Samaritan Hospice can give such garments to the hospice and receive them back as part of a very special quilt.
“This started in 2012 as a conversation between our community educators and our executive director and wanting families to receive a comforting bereavement gift to help them remember their loved one,” said Erin Middleton, volunteer coordinator for Good Samaritan Hospice, a mission of Concordia Lutheran Ministries.
“It's like a memory quilt,” said Roni Lucas, community educator for Good Samaritan Hospice.
Every family has the opportunity to request one quilt at no charge. “We have had more than 77 requests this year,” said Middleton.
Six volunteer quilters make the lap-size, patchwork quilts. Typically the volunteers assemble squares with a sewing machine using their own preferred techniques.
It can take from 10 to 100 hours to complete a quilt.
Quilters each make the number of quilts they can. There is no quota.
They can be reimbursed for their supplies but many make the quilt completely as a gift for the family.
“Each quilt is unique,” Middleton said. “The families will collect the clothing and cloth that goes into it.”
Hats, jackets, towels, aprons, patches, uniforms, gardening gloves, ties and many other fabric items are contributed by the families for the quilts.
“I've been sewing since I was 20,” said volunteer Gloria Walker of Saxonburg. “Really I'm not a quilter. It's too precise.”Yet she has made 78 quilts for the program and has no plans to stop.Her mother was in the hospice unit. Later, Walker received a newsletter that included information about the start of the quilt program. She contacted Concordia and has been making the quilts ever since.Each of her quilts is 36 inches by 48 inches, has 12 squares and takes at least 15 hours to make. She works on two or three quilts at a time and tries to finish each one within a month.“Every one is different. Some are more challenging than others,” Walker said.One challenge is what type and how many pieces of clothing she has to work with.“You have to go and adjust by what they turn in,” she said.“One woman handed in a shirt that her mother wore for bingo. It had a coffee stain and she wanted the coffee stain included. That's a memory of her mother.”Walker said she wants to give each family something that speaks to them and makes them think of their loved one.Although she doesn't meet the quilt recipients, she interviews someone from each family by telephone. She may ask about the loved one's occupation, hobbies, children's names, interests, religion, favorite colors and birthday.This helps Walker as she chooses fabrics to complete the quilt. Some answers end up in a personalized crossword pattern on one of the squares.Walker also asks for words that describe the person and these words sometimes become embroidery on the quilt.“The quilters have creative license to come up with the best design,” Walker said.Other seamstresses would envy Walker's organized work room. It has everything she needs including shelves of colorful fabrics and other supplies, her sewing machine, a table, boards for planning quilt layouts, notes and pictures of all the hospice quilts she's made.If Walker needs more fabric, she often finds it at yard sales, flea markets and auctions. If it comes to her as a donation, she prefers at least ½ yard of cotton fabric.Walker said it is very touching when she receives a response from a family.“They are all positive. The ones you get are very heartfelt,” Walker said.“I'm happy where I am that I can participate and do the best job I can for as long as I can,” she said.Middleton is always looking for more quilters. Walker recruited one of the other volunteers, Beverly Dietrich of Saxonburg, who also had a big stash of fabric.“She's a bona fide quilter,” Walker said.Jayne Krchnavy of Sarver received a quilt made by Dietrich. The quilt honors the memory of Ruby Krchnavy, her mother-in-law.“It took my breath away,” said Jayne Krchnavy.Jayne's husband, Richard Krchnavy, was particularly interested in having a quilt.The quilt reflects Ruby Krchnavy's great love of sports and includes towels, a team jacket and other fabric. The quilting is in a heart pattern.“The quilt is hot pink and black and with the Terrible Towel it has the gold, the Penguins towel is white, the Pirates towel is black. So it's very colorful,” Jayne Krchnavy said.“At the very top of it, it says 'Grandma is another word for love.' It ended up being so perfect. She was a true sports fan,” she said. “She would have laughed and loved this quilt.”“The back is just as beautiful as the front,” she said. “You see all the hearts.”Krchnavy considers the quilt an heirloom that will be treasured by the family.“The volunteers need all the kudos they can get,” Krchnavy said. “What they do for families that have lost someone is tremendous.”“I can't tell you how happy we are with this quilt,” she said. “It just feels like her.”To volunteer to make the quilts; to donate new cotton fabric, money or fabric store gift cards; or to volunteer for the hospice, call Erin Middleton at 800-720-2557 during business hours.
