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Love, warmth and comfort is something every hospice patient needs, and that is exactly what goes into each of the 200 quilts made for Harbour Hospice every year by the Caring Quilters group.
The group of eight volunteers meets regularly to stitch and sew fabric pieces into beautiful soft quilts that are donated to patients to use in their homes or as in-patients in hospice.
Group spokeswoman Jan Adams says the group has grown from two friends, Helen Harford and Jill Bezencon, sewing together around the kitchen table eight years ago to a thriving monthly group at hospice.
“The idea behind the group was that we wanted to be able to give patients something they could wrap themselves up in, to keep warm,” Jan says. “And it’s quite nice to know there are all of these beds and armchairs out there in the community that have our quilts draped over them.”
Jan says the quilts are all collaborative efforts.
“One person will lay out the fabric pieces, another might stitch them together,” she says. “Someone will sew the back to the front and then others will sew on the binding and label them. They really are a collective project and we all like to throw in our opinions when we’re starting a new one.”
Colours and patterns vary, but all include one plain, neutral side, and patients get to choose the quilt they like best from a selection.
Most materials are donated via hospice shops, or dropped off at the Red Beach facility and the group always has several quilts on the go (and will even complete half-finished ones donated by families).
“Quilting people always have a pile of half-done quilts at home,” Jan says. “As the saying goes, ‘behind every quilter is a big pile of fabric’.”
However, the quilters are looking for donations to help buy new backing and batting to keep the quilts coming. Anyone wanting to help can donate directly into the quilting group’s bank, account 06-0241-0280867-00.
