Quilting guild stitches together community support
Group in Indiana dedicates time and skills to help organizations serving vulnerable populations
New Albany, In. (InvestigateTV) — Quilting guilds are transforming fabric scraps into lifelines for vulnerable community members, creating custom comfort items that address specific needs often overlooked by traditional donations.
Inside St. Paul Episcopal Church’s Carriage House in New Albany, Indiana, the Southern Indiana Quilt Guild represents a growing movement of crafters who gather regularly with fabric, thread and sewing machines to create quilts for people in need.
“That’s always important to give back, to give more than you take,” Jan Sherrell, a quilter with the Indiana group, said.
The guild makes quilts, bibs, hats, tote bags and aprons for local organizations that serve vulnerable populations.
It donates handmade items to organizations that help people with addiction recovery, new mothers and babies, hospitals and seniors.
Members said many of their family members and friends are already well-stocked with blankets.
“A lot of these ladies have made hundreds of quilts and they probably have enough. All their friends and family are well stocked,” Sherrell said.
Custom solutions for overlooked needs
The quilters create custom items based on specific needs of the organizations they serve. For wheelchair users, they make blankets sized to avoid getting tangled in wheels.
“You don’t think about it, but most throws you buy are going to get tangled in the wheels and cause problems so we can make it to their size and specifications,” Sherrell said.
Creating a quilt can take weeks to months to complete. The Indiana group invites representatives from charities to speak about their work once a year.
“Some of the charities we give to, we try to get them to come in once a year and talk about their work, and that kind of brings it to our heart to know where the quilt is going and how meaningful they are,” Sherrell said.
Building community through service
For quilters, the work provides a way to socialize, learn and pass on skills while helping others.
“We are all so privileged, so many of us, and have a house full of blankets that we fight over on our couch, so it’s somebody else’s turn to take some of our time and talent and share that and let them wrap up and be warm in it,” Sherrell said.
It’s somebody else’s turn to some of our take our time and talent and share that and let them wrap up and be warm in it," Sherrell said.
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