KENSINGTON - Quilts line the tops of pews at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, each made with stitches of love and hope for the future.
“We hope they provide comfort to the people who find themselves in possession of them,” said Doris Moase.
Moase and fellow parishioner of the Anglican Parish of New London, Amy McCarville, were two of the main workers on the project, which will see the cozy quilts go to kids who enter the P.E.I. foster care system.
“Parishioners from three Anglican churches in the area got together and formed a stitching group last year. We were working on projects for ourselves, quilts, knitting, sewing, and sometimes people just came for the social aspect,” explained McCarville.
But after a few months, members wanted to do more than make things for themselves. And after talking with a group member, it was learned that there was a need in the foster care system.
“We learned that every child that goes through the system is transitioned out with something they get to keep. We were planning on working on lap quilts, but we decided to make them about the size of a bed, so the kids that receive the quilt can keep it as they transition out,” explained McCarville.
The quilts, 19 of them in total, have been made from fabric parishioners found in their caches of quilting material.
“I don’t think we needed to buy anything but a spool of thread,” McCarville said.
Moase added, “It’s absolutely been a community effort – people from the church donating fabric or quilt backing, anything really. And with the quilts on display for the last few Sundays at the various churches, everyone has really been interested in the story of the quilts.”
The pair, like other group members, hope the quilts provide comfort and hope to the foster children and youth.
“It’s nice that they’ll have something of their own to transition in and out with,” said Moase.
McCarville added, “Maybe some will use it and then pass it on to another kid in the system or maybe some will keep it and when they’re 40 or 50 they’ll look back and remember when they received it.
“It’s given every member such a good feeling and each has been stitched with love.”
The quilts will be on display at St. Mark’s Anglican Church Sunday, April 22, at 11 a.m. The public is welcome to view them.
