LAST QUILTING DAY IN 2014!

Narrie, Carolyn and Vi with our 102 quilts for 2014

We reached the goal of 100 quilts, surpassing it by two!  The quilts are put in the church as they are completed so the pews are all adorned with cosy quilts now.  We usually have our Ladies Luncheon shortly after quilting ends but this year we are planning to have it in June.  The majority of the quilts will be boxed up and sent to Lutheran World Relief and to St. Joseph's Hospital and care homes in Estevan.  There will be a few for sale at our luncheon. A few years ago Dorthea made and donated several tops using fabric paints so we have one of those to raffle again this year.  

I have been thinking of the family of Howard's cousin, Alvin Vinge, this week.  He passed away on Monday morning with his sister Edith and his four daughters at his bedside at the Outlook nursing home.    Edith, at the age of 96, read Psalm 23 and verses from Isaiah to her brother from his Bible and sang two verses by memory of "Jesus, Lover of my Soul".  The funeral service will be in Outlook on Saturday at 3:00.

Alvin and Herborg with daughters - Carol, Jeanette, Elaine and Doris

One of my memories of Alvin was his comment after he and Herborg visited us and spent a night in our "Norwegian room."  Many keepsakes from Norway are on display in that bedroom.  One of them is a quilt whose top is a copy of the Norsk flag.  I keep it across the foot of the bed.  The next morning Alvin said that he hadn't slept much as he was so busy saluting the flag during the night!  I think of him every time I make the bed and put that special quilt back in its place.  He had a great sense of humour.  Herborg was such a gracious hostess on our visits to them in their cosy Outlook home.  My love and prayers are with their four daughters and their families as they have said good-bye to both Alvin and Herborg in a little over three months. They have comfort in being reunited one day in our heavenly home.

I talked to Doreen in Saskatoon and Don in Edmonton on Wed. evening.  Just last week their sister-in-law, Terry Vinge, who was married to Freeman, died in Regina.  Doreen had good news in what could have been a tragic third death.  Don's son Peder Vinge was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over two weeks ago for a conference.  His meetings ended on the Friday but instead of flying back on Saturday, he decided to stay until Sunday and do some sight seeing.  The Saturday flight was Flight #370 that has now been declared lost in the Indian Ocean.  Peder's flight on Sunday brought him safely back to Beijing, China where he is on the staff at Beijing World Youth Academy, an international school. Was it a coincidence that Peder missed the tragic flight by a day, or was it God's hand guiding him to stay another day?

I had a good visit with Vivian Vinge last week in Weyburn.  I brought her some flatbread and she sent me home with a loaf of her special prune bread so we made a good trade!  I was fascinated by her table full of geranium plants that she had started from cuttings on last year's plants.  I asked her how many she had and it's about sixty. She said she'll have some to give away!

I was in Weyburn to attend the Stars of the Festival last Thursday evening.  Abbey's school choir from St. Mikes was chosen to take part.  They sang "Seasons of Love"from the cast of "Glee".  It has good words for us, starting with

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand  six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?" and ends with
"You know that love is a gift from above
Share love, give love, spread love
Measure, measure your life in love."

This post began with a picture of our quilts and the crew in charge of quilts and layette making.  I will end it with a series of pictures that show the steps in our quilt making at Trinity.  Thanks to Linda for supplying these pictures.

Narrie and Vi putting the three layers together

Caroline trimming the edges and pinning the back edges
 over the top to make the binding

Tressa zig-zagging around the binding

"The ties that bind" - Carolyn, Elaine, Vickie and Verna

Linda and her granddaughter, Hallie, who came to help us on her school break

The quilting crew - March 24, 2014

Our ladies group is so appreciative of the tops, backings and baby afghans that have been donated by Estevan residents who have roots in Torquay. Our heartfelt thanks to each of you for helping us with our quilting and layette projects.  Thanks as well to all who have sewn tops at home, donated material and gathered at Trinity on Tuesdays to quilt.  It's a great day of fellowship as we work and enjoy a bounteous potluck dinner together, with coffee breaks as well.  Come and join us in 2015!