Local quilter’s guild supports mental health

By Janet Kanters, Editor

A group of local quilters is helping support mental health by creating and donating quilts to the Blankets of Love Foundation for Mental Health.

Members of the Wheatland Quilters Guild have donated in excess of 60 quilts so far to the foundation to help that group reach its goal of 250 quilts by April 6.

The Blankets of Love Foundation will present the 250 quilts to the Foothills, Peter Lougheed, South Health Campus and Rockyview General hospitals for patients in their care.

According to Connie Barteaux, president of the Wheatland Quilters Guild, guild members have been working on the quilts for over a year.

“We have set charities that we donate to and we also look for a new one every year. One of our guild members contacted Blankets of Love last February (2020) to see if we could contribute some quilts,” said Barteaux. “Then COVID hit, and for the longest time hospitals weren’t taking the quilts. So, we just kept working away on them.”

When donations could finally be accepted again, Wheatland Quilters Guild had already finished quite a number of quilts.

But Blankets of Love isn’t the only charity Wheatland Quilters Guild donates to. The group, which has been in existence since 2012, has always sewn comfort quilts for cancer patients. They also sew what are called “bags of love,” fabric bags that are given to children who are in essence rescued from drug houses. The bags contain a quilt, clothes, and school and hygiene items. Over the past year, the guild has also donated quilts to Ronald McDonald House. They also sew zippered bags and gift bags for the Strathmore and Wheatland County Christmas Hamper Society.

While the guild members do a lot of charity work, they also find time to sew quilts just for the pleasure of it. Prior to COVID, the group met three to four times a month to sew. Today, members work on their own, but continue to stay in touch with telephone calls and through their private Facebook page. They are always open to new members as well.

“We don’t only do charity work, members are welcome to just work on their own projects,” said Barteaux, who added once COVID restrictions relax further and the group can meet in person again, they hope to welcome new members to the guild, which at present numbers 33. At their in-person gatherings, they take the opportunity “to learn new techniques, new methods, new tools, new patterns. It’s all about learning and fellowship.”

The guild also holds a fundraiser every year in order to purchase fabric and batting to make quilts and other projects for charity work. This year, the fundraiser is a raffle, with a king-sized quilt as the prize. Tickets are $2 each and can be purchased via wheatlandquilters@gmail.com or by calling 403-990-3546.