2019 Charity Quilting

I’ve had an elaborate storyline percolating to finish out Happy Scrappy. In the tall tale, I worried that Judi would drop an M80 in my back pocket if I didn’t empty the bin with quilt tops before midnight on December 31. And I couldn’t find my Speedo suit so I had something to wear without back pockets. And I fretted over the possibility that she would slam me with a bunch of finished quilt tops at an hour too late for me to get them all quilted. So I decided to bribe her with ice cream and milk chocolates. She could stay in bed all day and whenever I heard the bell ring I would run up the stairs from the basement, grab more goodies in the kitchen, and run up more stairs to the bedroom. Not only could I keep her from making additional quilt tops, I could get the steps I need on my FitBit.

But, alas, the storymaking will have to wait for another year.

As I write this, the longarm quilting machine is on the last pass of the last quilt for 2019. Judi and I made 151 quilts for three agencies serving children during 2019. In addition, she made 14 flannel and fleece blankets and 33 hats, most of them knitted.

Judi and I quickly point out that we have partners working with us. Some donate fabric. Some stop by to sew awhile. Together, we provide comfort to a child facing difficult health issues or a dangerous domestic situation.

But those of us who make quilts are in the background. There are teachers and coaches and parents of a child’s friends on the front lines, persons who speak words of hope and encouragement into the lives of kids trying to make it in a world that too often seems opposed to them, a chaotic world that may seem all-powerful to a child. Between those of us who made the quilts and the children who will receive them are nurses and social workers and law enforcement personnel for whom we provided a resource they can use to nurture a child. This year, we did that 151 times. The bin will not stay empty long. On Saturday morning, we’re doing a “pop up” sewing studio in the meeting room at the library near 151st and Antioch in Overland Park. Girls from Stella’s soccer team will spend a couple of hours sewing quilt tops for Project Linus. And so 2020 begins in the same manner as 2019 ends as the village lovingly cares for the children.