Quilters Have Fun Raising Money for the Community

 The large Senior Center room is splashed with color on the walls, tables, furniture, and clothing of the women quilters. Even the spread of potluck dishes is a lovely palette of hues.

 

  This is the Garden Valley Quilters Guild, celebrating the holidays, after a year of creativity and fundraising.

  Today, Crouch Volunteer Ambulance EMTs, Donnie Adams and Donna Sevilla, are standing by the Christmas tree, accepting a very generous check from Guild president, Donna Swanson, of Lowman. Later, Donnie says to a table of revelers, “We do appreciate it, you know we do.” Quilter, Christy Jauregui, responds, “We appreciate what you do!”

  Today is just a day of cheer and play for the group—games and a show-and-tell, with the sharing of finished projects. Members say they have two parties a year—the other one is in the summer, when they display all the quilts on a line. One has to suspect that every gathering of these quilters is a party.

  There are about thirty members and they say Stitch n’ Snip in Crouch is their favorite fabric shop, owned by Rena Hastings. The shop is not only social but educational, where classes are held and ideas are shared.

  Christy Jauregui says, “In the fall, we are given a challenge. All of us are given four fabrics and challenged to make a winter block. We can use other fabrics and embellishments like bells, buttons and sequins, but they have to have a snowflake. We have a drawing and the winner takes all the blocks home and creates a quilt from them.” The quilt this year was made by Darlene Donovan.

Whimsical quilt by Rhonda Weimer

  Jauregui says the quilt project shared at this party, by Rhonda Weimer, is by far the most spectacular of the shares. Weimer gives some of the credit to her friend, Lorie Wellock, who shares inspiration with her. This quilt has much threadwork incorporated into it and is charming.

   A sofa is full of “Friendship Pillows” made by members: some from Dollar Store hankies, one a scarf wrapped around a pillow form—each is pretty and quaint.

  Every winter, a committee comes up with a pattern and fabric to finish a complete quilt, and the group works on it together—this is the raffle quilt—though last year, they bought one at Rena’s store. They sell tickets at events like the Terrace Lakes Golf Scramble which benefits the Ambulance, and library fundraisers. The drawing is held at the fall Fiber Arts Faire, and proceeds pay for rent, etcetera. The funds left over are donated. Last year, they presented checks to the Ambulance and Fire Department.

  The quilters will be working on a quilt at the Senior Center on the fourth Wednesday of January. Christy Jauregui says, “We are so grateful to have the Senior Center. We spread out and turn it into tables and cords.” The group is always looking for people interested in joining them. Contact Jauregui at 462-2437.