News

Pillowcases and socks make the season bright

pillowcasesMembers of Coffee Creek Quilters donated 216 colorful hand-made pillowcases this holiday season to the Sleep Country Mattress Stores’ program to help local foster kids. Nearly 20,000 children in the Northwest are in foster care at any given time, often entering the system with few to no possessions. Sleep Country collects pillowcases, pajamas, toys and cash to help kids going through a difficult time. For more information about the Sleep Country program, check out their website.

Women incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility also entered into the spirit of the holidays with their 8th annual sock drive to help homeless families. The Eyeglass and Hair Design programs at CCCF organize this effort and achieved their goal of 6,000 pairs of socks this year.  The socks are being delivered to four organizations in the Portland metro area: 1) Good Neighbor Center, a Tigard homeless shelter; 2) Loaves and Fishes, which provides meals and assistance to home-bound seniors; 3) P:ear, an organization that helps homeless teens; and 4) Father’s Heart Street Ministry, which helps the homeless living on the streets in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties.

CCQ instructors enter juried quilt shows

instructor quiltsCCQ instructors are a talented bunch with a wide variety of skills and interests. Two of our instructors are art quilters who have entered their work in juried quilt shows. This means that a panel of judges critiques the quilts for technical excellence as well as creativity. Prizes are awarded in different categories.

Deb Sorem entered her “Under the Autumn Canopy” quilt in the 2013 Pacific West Quilt Show in Tacoma, Washington. Sun, sky and leaf motifs are represented with intricate curved piecing and free motion quilting. Deb works to abstract an image or a theme; in this one, she started with a photo taken looking up through the fall leaves on a tree. The quilt measures 41″ x 30″.

Sherri Culver’s entry in the 2013 International Quilt Festival/Houston show is titled “Emmy Tovo” and won third place in the Art-People, Portraits, and Figures category. When making a portrait quilt, Sherri starts with a photograph which she manipulates in PhotoShop. Sherri’s technique involves hundreds of tiny pieces of fabric that she appliques with a narrow satin stitch. Sherri’s quilt measures 29″ x 21″. You might want to visit her website to see pictures of more of her amazing quilts.

Martha Messa named CCCF Volunteer of the Quarter

Martha Messa was named Volunteer of the Quarter by Coffee Creek Correctional FacilityCoffee Creek Correctional Facility has named our own Martha Messa as Volunteer of the Quarter. Martha has been a CCQ instructor since 2004. She’s also our Program Coordinator and, in that role, serves as liaison between prison staff and Coffee Creek Quilters. In addition, Martha addresses a wide variety of instructor and student needs: making sure the classes are full and adequately staffed; arranging for instructor training; and making sure we have the fabric, tools, and supplies we need. We’ve been only half joking when we’ve told Martha that she’s so important to our program that she has the Coordinator job for life. Here’s an excerpt of what CCCF Superintendent Heidi Steward said in her congratulatory letter:

“Congratulations on being selected Volunteer of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2013. You are being recognized for the outstanding contributions you have made to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Since 2004, our facility has been greatly enriched by your volunteer efforts as a driving force in the implementation and on-going success of the Coffee Creek Quilting Program. As the Program Coordinator of Coffee Creek Quilters, you coordinate outside fundraising to ensure this program has all the supplies needed to continue being successful. In addition to the Quilting Program, you have also volunteered at our annual “Through a Child’s Eyes” summer event. Martha, we are very appreciative of everything you do to provide these wonderful services to the women of Coffee Creek. Thank you again for your energy, compassion, and dedication as a volunteer at our facility.”

CCCF recognized Martha with a letter, a certificate, and a trophy with her name engraved on it. To his credit, Martha’s husband said he always knew he had a trophy wife and now he has proof.