There can be few things more comforting, friendly, and warming than a homemade quilt; and over the course of last summer, several dedicated B.C. quilters91裸聊视频攁ided by friends, family, and businesses91裸聊视频攃reated 84 quilts (and accompanying pillowcases) to distribute to all the residents of the Ashcroft Reserve and the Boston Flats trailer park following last summer91裸聊视频檚 wildfire.
The project was the brainchild of Spences Bridge resident Judy Draney, who has been quilting for some 40 years. Every week she and two friends91裸聊视频擵erna Miller and Norma Collins91裸聊视频攎eet at the Cook91裸聊视频檚 Ferry Band office in Spences Bridge to quilt together; and the day after the Elephant Hill wildfire exploded, and she heard about the devastation, Draney brought up the idea of making quilts for everyone affected.
91裸聊视频淭hey said 91裸聊视频榊es, let91裸聊视频檚 do it,91裸聊视频� and we got started,91裸聊视频� says Draney. 91裸聊视频淪o we started work on them right away.91裸聊视频�
She got in touch with quilt shops and other people who quilt, including her sisters Edith Thomson and Karen Williams in Kelowna. Draney, Miller, and Collins stepped up their meetings to twice a week and quilted in their spare time, working all hours from July to early November. They also spread the word, bringing others on board.
Draney91裸聊视频檚 sisters made quilts, as did Joyce Deering (who also donated fabric). Joslyn Dunstan and her mother Florrie Walkem made a quilt. Linda Nicols and Jean Burgess donated towards the quilts; Oliva Watson donated quilt blocks; and Shirley Holowchuck donated fabric. Businesses such as Heather91裸聊视频檚 Fabric Shelf (Heather and Bill Fagervik), Quiltabilities in Ashcroft (Anita Starbuck), and Noeline Kerr and Trend Tex Fabrics also helped out. The Cook91裸聊视频檚 Ferry Band staff provided support and lunches, and another 47 quilts were donated by quilt guilds in Alberta.
By November 5 the local quilters had produced 84 quilts and pillowcases, with Draney creating 40 quilts herself. 91裸聊视频淲e worked in our spare time,91裸聊视频� says Draney. 91裸聊视频淲e were busy all summer. By the end of it we were exhausted.91裸聊视频�
The quilters were free to create any design they wanted, and quilts of any size, ranging from lap-sized to a quilt that would cover a king-size bed. On November 5, an event called 91裸聊视频淨uilt Hug91裸聊视频� was held at the Ashcroft Community Hall (with the hall donated by the Village of Ashcroft, and lunch provided by the Cook91裸聊视频檚 Ferry Band). The quilters were able to meet with residents of the Ashcroft Reserve and Boston Flats, share lunch, celebrate, and distribute the quilts and pillowcases.
91裸聊视频淭here were lots of tears, lots of hugging,91裸聊视频� says Draney. 91裸聊视频淚t got quite emotional at times. People were very happy with them. And that91裸聊视频檚 what we do as quilters.91裸聊视频�
This is not the first time that Draney has had a hand in providing quilts to people after a disaster. In 2015, when devastating floods hit Cache Creek, she was part of the Cactus Strippers quilting guild, teaching quilting to students at Cache Creek Elementary School. The guild members created quilts for all those in Cache Creek who lost their homes.
Draney says that all 84 of the local quilts, and 25 of the Alberta ones, were donated locally. The remaining quilts are being donated to the Royal Inland Hospital and the hospice in Kamloops.
Ashcroft Reserve resident Angie Thorne, who lost her home on July 7 and saw 11 members of her family directly impacted by the fire, was one of the quilt recipients. Although Draney had tried to keep the project quiet, Thorne91裸聊视频攚ho works at the Cook91裸聊视频檚 Ferry Band office in Spences Bridge91裸聊视频攌new about it, although she did not learn until September what the quilts were for.
91裸聊视频淭hey meet at the Band office every Thursday,91裸聊视频� she says of the quilters. 91裸聊视频淚 knew they were making a bunch of quilts; but it wasn91裸聊视频檛 until September that they asked me for a list of all the elders, male and female, all the children, boys and girls; all 82 people living on the reserve.
91裸聊视频淭here were quite a few tears [at Quilt Hug]. My father shared a story from a long time ago, about how when we had hardship people would give blankets and pillows, and how this was a reminder of that time.91裸聊视频�
On the program for the Quilt Hug lunch, Thorne wrote 91裸聊视频淚 just want to say how heartwarming it is to be a part of this wonderful and thoughtful idea. All of our community members have been impacted by this tragedy in ways only they can explain. Each one has lost a home, their belongings, pets, treasured keepsakes, for many their neighbours.
91裸聊视频淲e all experienced this together, and together we will stand and continue to support one another. And this Quilt Hug will surely help us along our way. Kukstemc [thank you] from Angie and members of 91裸聊视频楽talsh91裸聊视频� Ashcroft.91裸聊视频�
A quilt with a fire design that Draney made several years ago, and which she had been keeping for the right moment, was donated to the Ashcroft Volunteer Fire Department. AVFD captain Jonah Anstett accepted the quilt on behalf of the department, and says it was an awesome feeling.
91裸聊视频淚t was comforting, in a sense, after everything that happened. It was a crappy year. For people to do that was very moving. It91裸聊视频檚 awesome how people can come together after all that happened. People went out of their way to do what they did. They put so much of their own time and money into it.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e blessed to be part of that, and it was nice to see that people who were hurting weren91裸聊视频檛 forgotten. It91裸聊视频檚 always hard to see other people hurt.91裸聊视频� Anstett adds that the quilt will be hung in the Ashcroft fire hall.
Draney says that she, Collins, and Miller are still meeting once a week to quilt. 91裸聊视频淭he only time we don91裸聊视频檛 meet is if we91裸聊视频檙e snowed in.91裸聊视频�
editorial@accjournal.ca
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