A group of women from the Shoreham Village apartments in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
It all started with Lynn Horton wanting to use up her scraps from previous quilt projects.
“I was looking at the bags of material and our apartments are not that big. I’m thinking, ‘I got to get rid of this somehow’ and that’s how the thought came in my head. I can do this… I can make these for people that need them,” says Horton.
The group has been meeting in their recreation hall every weekend since August to quilt, both those who already know how and those looking to learn.
“As soon as I heard we were doing something for the homeless, I was in it for the long haul,” says Bernice Levy.
“When Lynn came up with the idea, I thought what a practical thing to keep people warm and cozy and let them know that someone else cares about the position they are in today,” says Germaine Clothier.
“I love doing things for others and I have always loved sewing and knitting and that sort of thing and be involved in helping people that don’t have what we have,” says Sandra Bezanson.
Each quilt is unique in size, shape and design. Some are made for single beds while others are big enough for doubles.
“They’re just colours put together, they are not matched or anything, I kept making them bigger and bigger,” says Horton.
Horton says she adds her own personal signature to each quilt. Not a written one but a personalized piece of fabric.
She expresses how grateful she is for her new friends and says she couldn’t have done any of this without them. So far, the group has made six large quilts and they have no plan to stop any time soon.
“As long as those bags of material are there, until they’re empty, there will be blankets made,” says Horton.
For the women, it’s also about the bonds they have built along the way. Many of them have lost loved ones and the time together is about comradery and looking out for each other.
“We like getting together and making food and helping each other out, we just look out for each other,” says Phillis Furlong.
“I don’t know how to sew so I said I’ll just go down and make coffee and make treats when I can and just be a part of the group,” says Sandra Hill.
They each contribute to the finished products in their own way, whether it’s snacks and coffee or sewing talents. But each quilt is sure to be made with love.
“We put laughter in it, we put love into it, all our emotions went into it, and it gave us a sense of community doing something and that we are sharing love with somebody that maybe didn’t have love,” says Clothier.
Horton says although they have ideas where the quilts could go, they’re also open to suggestions. In the end, she just wants them to go to someone in need.
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