It has taken more than 13 years of stitching for members of Sewing Seeds to reach their 1,000th-quilt milestone.
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Gathered around the kitchen table at Red Red Bobbin quilt shop, among bolts of fabric of every color and pattern, the volunteers talk about their shared love of sewing and the joy of making something beautiful for someone in need of some comfort.
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Every one of the quilts made by the Sewing Seeds group is donated. They’ve gone to community newcomers from Nigeria and Ukraine, been shipped to Attawapiskat First Nation, and given to those theft homeless after a fire and seniors in long-term care facilities.
But most find their way to children who are part of Child and Family Services of Grand Erie. Each of the quilts has a pocket with a Velcro closure affixed to the back.
“It’s there for them to put whatever precious little things they have so they can keep them safe,” said Louise Clarke, owner of Red Red Bobbin on Mt. Pleasant Road along with her husband Jim Blumer. They are also the founders of Sewing Seeds.
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The group meets Thursday afternoons at Bellview Community Hall on Tom Street, where they piece together designs, share ideas and a pot of tea, and enjoy each other’s company.
“We’re the funniest people we know,” joked Beverly Case, who says she has been sewing since she could reach the machine pedal. “We cut up perfectly good fabric and sew it back together.”
Carolyn Robinson said the group members “push each other out of our comfort zone,” to experiment with different quilt designs and color combinations.
Pamela Clark works full time and can’t wait for the weekly bees but contributes her home-sewn squares and extra fabric to the group.
“I made quilts for everyone in my family,” said Clark. “I still wanted to quilt but I had no one to give them to. This is my way to give back.”
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Sewing Seeds members create the quilt tops – usually small pieces of fabric joined together to make a pattern. They bring the pieces to Clarke and Blumer who add the back fabric and puffy batting using their huge long-arm quilting machines, which are tucked into the attic of their century home.
They receive donations of fabric, thread and unfinished quilt tops from throughout Southern Ontario. When Don Cherry read about Sewing Seeds’ work for the Quilts of Valor, which provides quilts to returning wounded members of the armed forces – he sent 10 autographed ties “as colorful as he” to be used in their quilts.
Although the donations help the group continue its work, Clarke and Blumer take on a significant amount of the cost themselves.
Each quilt made by the group is carefully cataloged by Clarke – listing the pattern, fabric, number of stitches, even tiny coils of the thread that’s used – and added to thick binders.
The group produces between 100 and 125 quilts a year.
To commemorate their 1,000th creation, group members are collaborating on a “communal quilt.” The center block is a fabric version of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Sower. Each quilter is creating their own design using a common fabric. Plans are to hang the finished piece at Bellview Hall or another place of honor.
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