Thursday, December 18, 2014

The Heart of Quilters

The December blog posts are about things quilters would like to give or receive as a gift for creating and making quilts.  Today is the yearly post about the giving nature of quilters, their thoughtfulness and their caring for others. 
Quilters, alone and with others, give away countless hours and dollars worth of materials to help others.  There is little recognition other than from quilting peers. You don't see it on the news. You may read about it in a little article in a paper if there is room that day but, most of the time, quilters carry on supporting others without fanfare or celebrity. 

In the last couple of years, more and more quilters are creating Dignity Quilts.  In nursing homes or other group care homes for the elderly, people felt the need for moving the deceased out of the building with dignity.  A quilt made to gurney specifications can cover the person as they are moved out.  Many Dignity Quilts are made with symbols of passage that signify a life lived and moving on.  Butterflies, the tree of life, doves and symbols of friendship were used in some of the quilts I have seen.  What a thoughtful way of moving on!

Many guilds have outreach quilts that can be shared in the community.  Here are some of the people who have received a quilt to hug them in their time of need:
cancer patients
flood, fire and tornado victims
children in homes, not there own, in need of a warm hug
children with special needs
Alzheimer patients
and so many more.

Wherever there is someone in need, there will be a quilt for the asking or given anonymously by a quilter who cares. Thank you for being the heart of quilting; you know who you are!!!

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