Quilters show their caring nature

Judy Gauchier, right, and her daughter, Laurel, made a quilt together. This is the first time Laurel has made a quilt for a charitable cause. She likes to see the end results.

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

Providing comfort and love to High Prairie and area’s cancer patients is the reason 46 people gathered at the High Prairie United Church Jan. 12 for Quilt ’Til You Wilt. The quilting bee was organized to make comfort quilts for cancer patients. Kim Boisson, a member of the High Prairie Quilt Guild, helped organize the event. Many people brought their sewing machines while Boisson provided each person with a kit containing a pattern and fabrics to make their quilts. Boisson says she received a lot of inquiries about Quilt ’Til You Wilt following a story about the guild in the Jan. 9 edition of South Peace News. “Because of the newspaper article, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” says Boisson. “We really appreciate all the people who came out.” The goal was to create 20 quilts that day, but they made 25 quilt tops and completed two quilts. As for the rest of the work, Boisson and Marla Willier will each take half of the quilt tops and quilt them. The quilts are made from 100 per cent cotton, as it breathes and washes well. The flannel material on the back of the quilts provides warmth. The quilts go to cancer patients, either directly or anonymously. Both clinics in High Prairie are in contact with the guild to arrange for the patients to receive them. The patients and their families appreciate them, says Boisson, adding the guild cannot guarantee making a quilt for every cancer patient. However, its members will do what they can. The mother and daughter team of Judy and Laurel Gauchier worked together on a quilt. Laurel enjoys working with her mother on quilts. She has been quilting for about a year and has made four quilts so far. “It’s fun, and I get to do it with my Mom,” says Laurel. Judy is the guild treasurer and she has been a member for 11 years. Her mother and mother-in-law died of cancer, so this event has special significance for her. This was Wendy Ehman’s first time being involved in an event like this. She doesn’t know anyone who has cancer, but wants to help those who have it. Ehman makes a lot of quilts at home and she is always looking for new ideas. “I just enjoy sewing,” she says. “I can just sew and help someone else.” Karen Nielsen also loves to sew. She finds it very relaxing and likes to challenger herself periodically. She has friends and neighbours who have had cancer and says this event is very important. “I believe that it’s a very good cause. I’m doing it because I believe in it, (and) you should help other people,” says Nielsen. Therese Cutrell, another volunteer for the event, had cancer 15 years ago. Annual checkups have found no recurrence. Sadly, many of her relatives have died from it. “I feel blessed, because I had the same cancer they did,” says Cutrell. She has never made a quilt from a kit before and found it challenging to work from a pattern. But, now she wants to make more quilts like this one. In addition to the sewers, some volunteers ironed the fabrics while others brought and served food to the group. Boisson thanks everyone who worked on the quilts and those who assisted.

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