The gentle humming of sewing machines in the parish hall of Hanover's Our Savior Lutheran Church on Monday made the lively chatter of the female volunteers sitting behind them almost inaudible. The senior women, representing both members of the church and the Hanover community at large, congregated in the hall to participate in a 12-hour quilting marathon benefiting Lutheran World Relief Quilting.
Lutheran World Relief, a program that started after World War II, sends approximately 400,000 quilts to disaster and refugee areas around the world. Currently, many quilts are being shipped to Iraq, Sudan and Pakistan. According to Peggy Salder, one of the church's organizers, the international effort began as "a comfort and warmth and shelter project."
With Monday's "Quilt-a-thon," Our Savior Church commenced its 19th year of involvement with the Lutheran World Relief organization. Each year, the women hold four 12-hour marathons and multiple short quilting sessions throughout the fall, winter, and spring. Over the last three years, they have stitched together more than a hundred quilts.
In the past, the marathons have attracted many volunteers.
"Our very first marathon, 67 people showed up and we did not know what to do with them all," Sadler said.
Monday's marathon only brought in about 17 women.
"The weather was so beautiful," said another co-organizer of the event, LaVonne Bataldens. "Nobody would want to come ... unless you really love to quilt."
Susan Bloomfield, another organizer of the Quilt-a-thon, stressed that each quilt is created by hand, rather than purchased.
"We hope that each person who gets one of these will identify with their quilt and be proud of it," Bloomfield said as she picked up a pair of scissors from a supply station stocked with thimbles, pins, and thread. "I guess we kind of stitch that little bit of extra care into each quilt. It's just not a mechanized thing that Wal-Mart might sell; it's something different. Giving your money is something we all can do, but that's just not giving of yourself."
Many of the women asserted that making a quilt is, in fact, a rather simple process.
"Everyone can do this," Bloomfield said as she lifted her eyes, still keen after hours of sewing, from her patchwork.
"Yes, that's fortunate," quipped a beginner volunteer.
To begin, the ladies arrange combinations of 11-inch and 21-inch fabric squares and rectangular fabric strips to create a quilt "top." Once stitched together, the "top" is laid over a filler layer and a bottom layer of fabric. The three layers are fastened together with box-knotted ties, and the edges of the quilt are sewn to create a binding. The final product is a piece that is 60 inches by 80 inches and takes approximately two hours to complete.
All of the different fabric used to make the quilts is donated, many times by anonymous benefactors in the community. The fabrics vary in both color and design, allowing the women to make one-of-a-kind creations.
"This one's kind of cheery, isn't it," said Bataldens, who has been sewing since the second grade, as she held up a bright red quilt with cherry-covered patches.
"I could be fired for this one!" Bloomfied laughed.
Though the quilts are often colorful and attention-grabbing, the women said the main goal is for them to be sturdy.
"Some are quite pretty, some are not so pretty, but none of them are terribly ugly, and they all serve the purpose of providing shelter, warmth, a way of carrying belongings," Bataldens said.
The women aimed to complete 20 quilts by the end of the event. By 5:36 p.m., the ladies were "a little bit behind schedule" with 10 quilts completed and another four in progress. But they were determined to finish.
"Someone who's a real quilter will say that this is not a quilt," volunteer Jane Stevenson said as she stood hunched over a table with her forearms stretching across the patchwork in front of her. "This is definitely utilitarian. Disaster relief is definitely something different than decorative quilting, but it's a lifesaver for some people."
