Quilters' helping hands give aid to evacuees

PHILOMATH — For families with little left to cling to, and prized possessions lost by the ravages of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the gifts of strangers can be an unexpected and welcome offering. Local quilters who pour heart and soul into their fabric art are hoping that a little of the warmth and love they put into their quilts will find itself comforting some of the storm's victims very soon.

Members of the Mary's River Quilt Guild gathered Thursday afternoon for a massive quilting effort that they plan to make a weekly occurrence. About 14 local women spent the day at Jannilou Creations, a quilting shop in Philomath, working on quilts to send to the storm-ravaged South.

"We're going to try and do this once a week until there's no more perceived need," said Lynn Grube, who helped organize the women after receiving an e-mail sent to quilters across the nation, asking that all available quilters put their efforts into making quilts for Katrina victims.

Most of the quilts created during the day were what Grube called "scrappy," that is, made of very small strips of fabric sewn together in rows or blocks and then pieced together in larger sections.

Although not as elaborate as some of the art quilts the women have created previously, they are elegant, colorful, and most of all, warm and comforting, and take hours and hours of work.

"I never keep track of hours because I'd never do one again," Grube joked.

The quilters made more than 200 nine-patch squares, which will become sections of many quilts, and some quilters also brought partially finished quilts to complete.

The Mary's River Quilt Guild's mission includes making service quilts, and their work has graced the Mario Pastega House and CARDV shelters. Also, 200 quilts were sent to Corvallis' sister city in Uzhgorod, Ukraine.

"It's one of the ongoing things we do," Grube said. "I've always been impressed by the immediate response. If you give a quilter an excuse, they will come."

"When you're giving to someone who has so little," added Cathi Roberts, "they'll have something."

"This feels so good," Grube agreed.

Although none of the quilters had a direct connection to victims of the hurricane, many spent most of their day working on the quilts and will likely return next week for another quilting session. Others took some of the unfinished quilts home to complete.

Eventually, they will be shipped either to the American Quilters Society or the International Quilt Festival, which will then distribute them to those in need. Grube and the other quilters wouldn't dream of just throwing some pre-manufactured blankets into the mail for survivors.

"A quilt is so much more personal," Grube said. "You're giving something of yourself."

How to help

Quilters interested in joining in on the quilting group for their weekly Katrina quilting bee can come to Quiltwork Patches in Corvallis from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, or stop by Jannilou Creations in Philomath on Sept. 22.

To donate 100 percent cotton quilting fabric or lightweight batting, or monetary donations to help ship the quilts, bring donations to either quilting store.

Theresa Hogue can be reached at theresa.hogue@lee.net or 758-9526.