For members of Windham’s Nimble Thimbles Quilting Chapter, creating a new quilt is like a microcosm of life in stitching together a beautiful patchwork of memories.
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| Cynthia Junco of the Nimble Thimbles Quilting Chapter of Windham displays quilts that were made and donated by chapter members to the Windham Food Pantry, the Windham Police Department and the Windham Fire and Rescue Department last December. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
The Pine Tree Quilters Guild was founded in 197 and has more than 1,800 members in 67 chapters in Maine. It is a guild of quilters who are passionate about everything about quilting who share and help others learn more about their art.
According to Nimble Thimbles member Cynthia Junco of Windham, being part of the group allows her to spend time with others who enjoy quilting and promotes a unique and special camaraderie among members who understand the work needed to put together a new quilt.
She said the length of time required to create a quilt depends upon the design and pattern, size, and the number of members participating but it usually involves hours of work to complete one.
“Some members will work on quilt tops in the convenience of their own home and then when our group meets, we may layer and tie the quilts prior to binding them,” Junco said. “We also have a couple of members who have donated their time to machine quilt the layers, and then a member will take a quilt and add the binding. It can be quite a process by the time one quilt is completed.”
The Nimble Thimbles chapter meets twice a month in Windham to work on quilts.
This past holiday season, Nimble Thimbles members decided to donate quilts created last fall to the Windham Food Pantry to be included with holiday baskets being distributed to those in need.
“It's my understanding that this year the quilts would be used in some holiday baskets that the food pantry provided to some individuals as well as some going to the Windham Police and Windham Fire and Rescue to provide to an individual when emergency situations arise. Quilts can be very comforting to one in a difficult situation.”
Each year the organization makes a holiday donation based upon suggestions from its members.
“In the past we've made and donated quilts to Quilts of Valor, the Ronald McDonald House, Hospice, as well as Project Linus,” Junco said.
Project Linus provides handmade blankets to children in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
In November, the Nimble Thimbles Quilt Chapter of Windham donated 46 different quilts of various sizes to the Windham Food Pantry for distribution in some of their holiday baskets as well as the Windham Police and Fire Departments.
“The quilts were well received, and we were happy to be able to provide the support,” Junco said. “Our group creates and donates quilts for different charities and social service groups which fluctuates from year to year.”
Junco says that the best part of being a member of the Nimble Thimbles Quilting Chapter is more than just the camaraderie of being with other quilters.
“It enables us to share our creativity, teach others various techniques used in quilting as well as doing for others,” she said. “Generally, we hire a quilt instructor from outside of our group once or twice a year for a teaching/learning workshop to learn new or advanced methods of quilting.”
For anyone interested in joining the Nimble Thimble, brochures with contact information are available at various quilt shops in the area, including at the Calico Basket Quilt Shop, 31 Page Road in Windham. <
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