CONNECTING THREADS, CONNECTING HEARTS
A cozy, hand-made quilt can provide warmth for chilly toes on a winter night, but the actions of a Regina quilting group can also warm the heart. Harkening back to 19th century quilting bees, when community members came together to make gifts and charity items, Connecting Threads brings quilters together in Regina to create items for community organizations.
Once a week, 20 to 30 quilters, many of whom are members of the Prairie Piecemakers Quilters’ Guild, meet at the Neil Balkwill Centre and combine their creative efforts, enjoying their hobby while striving to help those who are in need feel comforted and cared for.
“We are a productive group,” says Marlene Smith-Collins. “We donated 204 quilts to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and 214 went to the pediatric and adolescent inpatient and outpatient care at the General Hospital and Wascana Rehab Centre. These are given to kids who are in a chronic medical condition, terminally ill or have experienced some type of trauma. They are comfort quilts.” The group also donated 10 quilts to Sofia House (a second-stage women’s shelter) and 15 to the women and children at Kate’s Place (a residence for women completing court-mandated drug treatment). Three other women’s shelters received 300 pillowcases, and 152 placemats were donated to the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region Meals on Wheels program, which serves households as far away as Moosomin.
This high productivity does not result in a reduction in quality however. “When we are donating quilts to charity, we want them to be attractive — we want to be proud of what we donate, and we want the people receiving them to be comforted — they are a comfort quilt and they should be comforted by them, not looking at them and thinking ‘who made this,’ type of thing. We take a lot of pride in the charity quilts that we make,” says Smith-Collins.
All the tools and materials needed for the projects are made available at the Balkwill for Connecting Threads participants. “We work with donated fabric — donated by members of the guild who are downsizing, members of the public because they know we make charity quilts, and estates. Sometimes, we have somebody who is cleaning out their mother’s house, and they just drop it off at Neil Balkwill and we don’t know who donates it,” says Smith-Collins. Several sewing machines, rotary cutters and mats are also available for use.
The group receives monetary support from various sources. This year, Farm Credit Canada donated $1,500, which will be used to purchase the quilt batting required for projects. The Prairie Piecemakers Quilters’ Guild also contributes financially. It holds a quilt show every two years and sells raffle tickets for a hand-made quilt to raise funds for Connecting Threads’ efforts. In 2016, $2,400 — which will also be used for batting and flannelette backing — was raised through this endeavour. An additional $1,000 was donated in July through Sask Energy’s Share the Warmth program.
Even though the group is very production-oriented, Connecting Threads sewers manage to find time to socialize and share quilting tips. “There is a tremendous exchange of ideas,” says SmithCollins. “Somebody always has a different way of doing things, or a different pattern. You will always get advice — whether you want it or not!”
Many hobbyists are members of both the Prairie Piecemakers Quilters’ Guild and Connecting Threads, but membership in neither organization is dependent on belonging to the other. Both groups meet from September until June. Connecting Threads meets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on and come-and-go basis at the Neil Balkwill Centre every Thursday, and the Prairie Piecemakers Quilters’ Guild meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Whitmore Park United Church.
The guild, which comprises about 140 members, is also a way for quilters to exchange ideas and learn more about the art and craft of quilting. At each meeting, 80 to 90 members meet to discuss topics of interest, such as fibre art or modern quilt design. Presentations cover various concerns that quilters may have, including correct body mechanics for sewing (presented by a physiotherapist) and sewing machine maintenance (presented by the owner of a quilt shop). For those who like to receive their advice in printed form, the guild meetings’ venue houses an extensive library of quilting books.
Like any labour of love, time passes quickly when one begins the process of making a quilt. “I don’t think even any of us that sew or quilt even know how much time we put into something. When I’m asked, ‘how long did it take you to make something,’ I have no idea,” says Smith-Collins.
What a great way to wile away those long winter days.