|
Stitching it all together
Published October 29, 2006
SEGUIN — Sewing machines whirl and scissors swish through fabric as the chatter of women’s voices fills an activity room at Faith Lutheran Church.
The familiar noises echo through the hallways every Wednesday morning as about a dozen and a half women meet to create quilts for Lutheran World Relief.
“They’re sent to Dafur to Sudan to earthquake zones,” explains organizer Sherline Bogisch as she sits down with 14 other ladies for their morning coffee break. “They’re very rarely, if ever, sent to the United States, except for Katrina victims.”
The quilts become blankets, or in some cases entire beds, Bogisch says, along with tents, tarps and rucksacks for carrying refugees’ belongings.
As the women seated around the table pass oranges, nuts and banana bread from right to left, one nods.
“When we’re making the quilts, we don’t know who's going to use them,” said volunteer MaryAnn Fisher.
But that only seems to increase the love and care taken with every stitch.
The quilts are fashioned by assembly line, with one group of women cutting the tops, another tying the layers together by hand and another sewing steadily in a corner.
The women joke and show pictures of their grandchildren’s weddings while they work.
“We exchange recipes, you know. Not only do we get to do something worthwhile, but we also have the fellowship — and the food,” said Elaine Cordes, with a smile.
Since the church started making quilts in the early ‘90s, its output has grown exponentially. The group started with just six or seven volunteers, and reaching a goal of 300 quilts a year was a major accomplishment.
Now, the quilters are averaging 10 a week.
“Last year, we made 425,” Bogisch said.
The goal this season, which runs from April to April?
“We’re trying to get to 500,” Bogisch said. “We had 278 as of last week.”
The completed quilts sit stacked neatly in the corner, hundreds of quilts high and wide.
The overflow rests in packed banana boxes in a spare room.
A soft pile of mismatched scraps — checked prints, floral sheets and hounds tooth fabric — spreads out over a table, waiting to be sorted into tops, middles and bottoms.
All of the supplies are donated from people and businesses in the community. Comfort Inn, for example, gives old sheets it doesn’t use any more.
“We get drapes, curtains and old bedspreads,” Bogisch said. “If it’s clean, we’ll use it.”
The organization gets its volunteers from all over the community, too. Many come from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, some are church members, some are not.
Though most talk about their grandchildren and weave needles through fabric like expert seamstresses, there are no such prerequisetes for joining.
“There’s not an age requirement,” Hattie Gerdes said. “Young ones can come, too.”
And for those not so steady with a Singer, there’s always other tasks to be done, such as ironing, fabric cutting, threading needles, and, of course, baking.
For many of the regulars who come back year after year, quilting anonymously for those in need offers just as many rewards for the quilter as it does for the recipient of the labor.
Kathy Ersch, who has been spending her Wednesday morning with a needle in hand for more than 15 years, said the quilting group has become home to her.
“I love sewing and I love the company,” Ersch said. “It’s just this group of people that feels like family to me.”
For more info, to donate material or join the quilting group, call Sherline Bogisch at (830) 379-3824.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
