Quilters embrace a labor of love
Loving Hands delivers hope for those dealing with cancer, hospice
Posted: Friday, April 18, 2014 9:15 am
By SUSAN RANDALL, Casa Grande Dispatch
They come together every Wednesday — as many as a dozen women during the summer, more than 20 in the winter — to make quilts for cancer and hospice patients. Every quilt has a stitched label: “Our hope is that this quilt will bring you comfort. It was made and given with love by Loving Hands Quilters of Casa Grande.”
The group has made and given away 50 quilts since January, said Maryann Jamison, who started the group and opens her home for its meeting every week. Partially finished quilts covered tables and couches Wednesday. Eight quilters worked at sewing machines on the dining room table. Karen Newman and Carrie Socha were making rag quilts with soft, fuzzy seams. Shirley McIntyre was hand-sewing pieces together to match squares that had been started and donated. Others were making a string quilt, a log cabin quilt, a five-and-dime quilt, a bird quilt, a Betty Boop quilt and colorful abstract quilts.
“Each quilt is different,” said Janet Gardner. Most of the quilters design and make the tops. Gardner and Jamison stitch the quilts’ top, batting and backing together. Bonnie Warren delivers most to the Cancer Support Center, Harmony Hospice and the Cancer Treatment Center, in Casa Grande. A few go to quilt makers’ family members or friends with cancer.
“When you’ve finished and done a good job, you feel joy knowing it’s going to somebody who needs it,” said Carol Peterson.
“Everybody wants to help people with cancer,” said Janet Klingler.
“It’s a way to give them comfort and give us satisfaction,” Socha said. Penny Kaye, bereavement and volunteer coordinator for Harmony Hospice, said many patients are no longer in their own homes because they need around-the-clock care.
“A quilt is like a little piece of home,” she said. “You should see their faces light up.”
“Everybody likes quilts, even men,” said Tim Theiler, Harmony Hospice’s community relations director. Karen Lloyd, patient coordinator for the Cancer Support Center, said Loving Hands members often make just the right quilt for the right person without realizing it. All of the fabric and quilters’ time are donated. People with unfinished quilts may donate the pieces, and donations of 100 percent cotton fabric, batting or money may be made by contacting [email protected].
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Reach Casa Grande Dispatch Reporter Susan Randall at 423-8612 or [email protected]
