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Shuswap Quilters Guild donates comfort

The Shuswap Quilters’ Guild has begun another season sharing their talents with those in need.
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n Quilters from the Shuswap Quilters’ Guild show off the colourful creations they are donating to the Women’s Emergency Shelter

The Shuswap Quilters’ Guild has begun another season sharing their talents with those in need.

On Sept. 25, Blanche Hartnett presented Marilyn Kalke, resident co-ordinator of SAFE House with eight quilts and Debbie Beadle and Cheryl Ashe of RCMP Victim Services with six quilts.

Kalke said the fact the guild has been donating quilts to the women’s shelter  for 20 years, “is absolutely amazing - I can’t thank you enough.”

She said the quilts make such a difference for the women who come to the shelter.

Ashe noted that the quilting is done with loving care, “and that will be passed on” to the people victim services serves.

This brings the number of quilts donated to the two groups, plus other programs such as Healthiest Babies Possible, Shuswap Lake General Hospital (palliative care, chemo and wheelchair lap quilts) and fire and flood victims to 920 quilts since the guild’s inception in October 1992.

The SAFE House has received 229 quilts in almost 21 years and 34 quilts have been given to victim services over three years.

The total includes the 31 quilts that Quilter of the Year Joanne Colleaux and quilter Carole Jones were able to gather from other guild members to send to Calgary for recent flood victims.

“The level of workmanship that comprises many of the donated quilts is quite often heirloom quality and often renders recipients speechless,” says guild member Trudy Nedila.

A testament to the quality of workmanship is the fact that seven Shuswap Quilters’ Guild members took home 36 ribbons in the Textile and Needle Arts Division of the Salmon Arm Fair.

Nedila describes the guild as a wonderful teaching and learning environment.

“There are a number of skilled teachers in the group and we are always willing to have more,” she says. “And of course, there’s plenty of room for more quilters, or would-be quilters who are learning how to quilt, or want to learn how to quilt. Newcomers of any calibre are very welcome.”

If you have any questions regarding the guild, call Carol at 250-832-4263 or Blanche at 250-832-9045. Guild members meet at 9:30 a.m. (door opens at 9) in the parish hall in the basement of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.