‘For us, it’s a labour of love’
Two caring friends create quilts for people with dementia
“True quilting is a very precise art. We don’t worry too much if the corners don’t quite line up. For us, it’s a labour of love.”
Cathy Dunba
Cathy Dunbar and Beth McBrine grew up on the same street in Hantsport. The lifelong friends still get together every Tuesday at Dunbar’s Hantsport residence to work on a special project.
Since 2018, they have been creating fidget quilts to comfort people with dementia. One square on each quilt contains the words: “Somebody cares.” Those somebodies are known as the 2Fidgeteers, and they have created 1,280 quilts over that time, of which 1,198 have been given away.
It all started when Dunbar saw an online pop-up for fidget quilts. While both she and McBrine have sewing skills, neither had previously specialized in quilting. But they both have family members with dementia, so they took the idea and ran with it.
A fidget quilt is a lap quilt that provides stimulation for the fidgeting hands of people with dementia. The quilt is covered with various objects that engage their hands and fingers, stimulating the senses and providing a focal point for attention.
They began giving the quilts away, and after getting some media exposure and creating a Facebook page, donations of materials began pouring in.
“We’ve received sewing machines, fabrics, notions and money,” Dunbar said. “We would never be able to do this if we had to buy everything ourselves.”
Each quilt is 24 by 30 inches and contains 20 squares, with each square containing some sensory, tactile or themed piece of material. Some squares are common on every quilt, while others are customized for an intended recipient.
“They’re designed to keep busy hands busy,” Dunbar said. “They have a soothing and calming effect.”
The quilts are given away – never sold – and have been shipped as far away as North Yorkshire, England, Coquitlam, B.C., and Fort Myers, Fla. Postage is on the honour system, and most people will add a donation to their etransfer.
On each quilt is a key inside a pocket, as a key is an item that everybody has used and immediately recognizes. Perhaps because we’ve all misplaced a key at some point in life, there is something reassuring about reaching inside a pocket and finding a key.
“Home Hardware in Hantsport has been our biggest supporter in donating keys,” McBrine said.
Other squares contain zippers, velcro, coil elastics, buttons and other materials, all designed for fidgeting. For safety reasons, all of the items are attached to the quilt with a string. Dunbar and McBrine will typically work on the individual squares on their own throughout the week, and then attach the squares to the quilts when they get together on Tuesdays.
Besides providing an activity for busy hands, the quilts are also a conversation starter. For pet lovers, there might be paw prints, pictures of dogs or cats, or other items designed to trigger childhood memories.
“It provides something to start conversations when family members come to visit,” McBrine pointed out.
Quilting is an art form, and while the 2Fidgeteers have shown their work at quilt shows, they do not try to compete with the artisans.
“True quilting is a very precise art,” Dunbar said. “We don’t worry too much if the corners don’t quite line up. For us, it’s a labour of love.”