Quilters that are sew kind

By Madison Strandberg

Leader-Record

The Gonvick Community Center is a bustling place during the third week of the month Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. Beginning at 9 am the Clearwater Quilter’s Guild meets together for various projects that will brighten the local communities. This group of ladies piece together more than just quilts, but also placemats, receiving blankets, and lap quilts. You may have seen some of their handiwork at the Clearwater County Fair in the building dedicated to quilts (which is quite a rare find for fair buildings). In December they raised $700 for Hospice of Clearwater County besides their normal volunteer sewing.

The Clearwater Quilter’s Guild is a non-profit that is welcoming experienced sewers or new enthusiasts. Each sewer brings their supplies with them each time they gather at the community center. A lot of progress can be made in a few days, whether it is a collaborative quilt for a community member who has gone through a hardship or if the project is for personal fun. Over the last year, 135 projects were given to Hope House, First Care Nursing Home, Essentia Hospital, Bagley Senior Center, Clearbrook Senior Center, Cornerstone Nursing Home, and Senior Living Center, and others. 

So how do they do it? Time is valuable and fabric isn’t free. These ladies volunteer their time and efforts to give back to the communities by gifting two quilts each year, like to the Clearbrook-Gonvick after prom party or those who are looking for a donation for a fundraising event. Since 1995, when Wanda Rydeen and Rilla Nelson began the guild in Clearbrook, there have been many items made and sent to places in Bagley, Bemidji, Clearbrook, Fosston, and Gonvick. To provide such a variety of projects, there are many supplies needed. Char and Jeri Rathbone have their own personal ‘long arm’ which is a specific sewing machine that is used to sew a certain pattern to piece together and finish large quilts that the CQG is appreciative for the use of.  To raise money for those items the group works together to select a pattern, fabric, and take turns working on the quilts that are auctioned off at the Clearwater County Fair in August. There are limited amounts of those tickets, so when the tickets are purchased the lucky winner is guaranteed a quilt like no other. 

In 2014 the Clearwater Quilters Guild moved their functions to the Gonvick Community Center. Now the many members, including Karen Oftelie, Linda Holm, Char Rathbone, Jeri Rathbone, Judi Engebretsen, Carole Johnson, Raylene Rankin, Linda McPherson, Diane Jackson, Deb Rasmussen, Marilee Westrum, and Virginia Grenier, utilize the space from the kitchen- where important tasks of ironing and snacking happen- to the main room where many tables are filled with colorful quilts, variety of threads, books of patterns, different brands of sewing machines, and most importantly busy hands and smiling faces. 

If you know of someone that may be cheered up by receiving a quilt, or are interested in joining their community work, please contact Judi Engebretson (218-280-1502) or Diane Jackson (jackson@gvtel.com). The next month’s dates are March 16th, 17th, 18th.