Community Corner

Quilting With A Cause

Adult education class brings women together to make quilts and help those in hospice care.

You could call it a sewing circle that helps complete the circle of life.

Every Thursday afternoon, several dozen women and one man gather in a Mt. Diablo Adult Education classroom in Pleasant Hill to stitch together quilts.

The class, however, is more than just an enjoyable weekly course.

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The Scrappy Quilters is also a social network and a place where caring people make life a little more comfortable for those who are terminally ill.

"Most people here are creative and this gives them a creative outlet and a chance to make something that's not going to just sit in a closet," said Eadie McDougald, the class instructor.

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Most of the quilts the group makes are given to one of four hospice programs -- East Bay Hospice in Pleasant Hill, Kaiser Martinez, Kaiser Vallejo and AseraCare in Concord.

As many as 15 quilts are donated a week. The class also produces the occasional knit hat, pillow, lap blanket and tote bag.

This effort began in 1993 when an adult education quilting instructor retired. McDougald and several other students decided to form their own class.

They now have 60 members and have sewn more than 4,500 quilts during the past 18 years.

Most of the fabric they use is donated from places such as Thimble Creek, the American Sewing Guild and East Bay Hospice.

The group does sell a half-dozen or so quilts at the annual adult education open house to raise money for extra materials.

The class is an efficient assembly line. Some participants stitch together the quilt tops while others do layering, sew edges, close openings and tie the products together.

"The challenge for us is making these quilts from the materials we have in the room," said McDougald.  "It also gives us a social outlet. I've never heard a cross word in here. Everybody is helpful."

A tour of the room backs up McDougald's assessment.

In one corner, Sandy Mowrer of Walnut Creek stitches together fabric at a sewing machine.  She's been part of the class for five years now.

Mowrer says she enjoys the class' atmosphere and the fact she is helping others in need.

"It's a nice place and we do something worthwhile," she said.

Across the way, Sue Donecker of Clayton is picking out fabrics for the class to use as well as tieing it together.

She's also been a part of the action for the past five years, enjoying the friendship.

"It's kind of like the old sewing circle," she said.

Nearby, Laurie Biundo and Barbara Reamy of Walnut Creek are cutting out fabric and performing other tasks.

They have become friends since joining the class a year ago.

"I was looking for volunteer work and couldn't find the right fit. This is perfect," said Biundo. "We make things for other people that really helps them."

Ellen Heathcote of Martinez has been part of the class since it began in 1993. She's a textile artist who is also a member of the Martinez Arts Association.

She enjoys providing the special gift of quilts to those in need as well as the warm friendship she finds in this class.

"This group of women really gets along with each other," said Heathcote. "Their creativity is also inspiring."

The class also receives the occasional drop-in contributor.

Lorraine Horst of Concord is one of them. She's been putting together fabric dolls at her home for the past three years.

She brings the collection of flannel dogs, bears and other animals to the classroom to be donated to places that take care of Alzheimer's patients and children in crisis.

"It keeps me busy and I love to sew," said Horst. "It also feels good to help other people."

Edith McLeod, the volunteer co-ordinator at Kaiser Martinez, says the class' contribution is unmeasurable.

"Everything about hospice is about caring and that's what this class does," said McLeod.


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