Three Ashland residents recently participated in the Power of the Quilt Project’s inaugural winter quilt-a-thon held virtually on Jan. 18 in celebration of MLK Day and a commitment to service. The project, which began about 15 years ago, is sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Area Church, First Parish in Sherborn. The event was organized by church member Cris Crawford.

“I was overwhelmed by the response,” Crawford stated. “With the pandemic, we haven’t been able to hold our in-person events for almost an entire year. It was great to have so many familiar faces greeting one another via Zoom and working together on charity quilts.”

Three of those familiar faces included longtime volunteers Tobi Hoffman, Dorothy Nail, and me. We each logged in at 10 a.m. and dedicated the next five hours to cutting fabrics, making quilt tops, and sandwiching and hand-tying quilts. 

Despite the ongoing quarantine, we have still been making quilts at home throughout the pandemic as have some of the other volunteers. Once completed, the quilts are dropped off with Sally Demler of Sherborn, a longtime UUAC member and fellow PQP participant. 

“I don’t quilt,” said Demler, “but I like to help, so I hand sew the PQP labels on each finished lap robe. I think I’ve been involved pretty much since the beginning of the project.”

Sally Demler is living with cancer. She takes the finalized lap robes to the infusion unit she visits regularly for chemotherapy treatments. Some quilts are provided to hospice patients and to other cancer treatment centers throughout eastern Mass.

“Every four or five weeks I make the trip,” Demler said, “it’s a privilege to be able to be part of this group and to supply others with these beautiful creations. Recipients are overjoyed and typically speechless when the nurse hands them one of these beauties. Every stitch is infused with love.” 

The Power of the Quilt Project has been coordinated by a few folks over the years, including Crawford. Since its inception, several thousand cheery quilts have been distributed to men, women, and children who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. 

Each lap robe is about 42” by 64” and backed in flannel to provide some warmth to the patients as they receive their treatments. Quilts created with animal-themed or child-centric fabrics are delivered to Project Linus for youngsters facing hardship who are living in shelters or in a hospital setting.

“These quilts are a bright spot in the lives of people going through a hard time, and the Power of the Quilt Project allows us to share our gifts and caring with the community in a very meaningful way,” Hoffman said.

For now, quilt-a-thons will continue to be held regularly, until it is safe to meet in person. If you are interested in participating, contact Cris Crawford at [email protected]. To find out more about the Power of the Quilt Project or make a donation to help buy supplies, visit www.uuac.org. Pictures from previous quilt-a-thons may be viewed at powerofthequilt.blogspot.com.