News

Recently we’ve heard from a number of people who want to help the CCQ prison quilting program, but aren’t able to volunteer. We invite them (and you!) to consider sponsoring a quilter with a financial donation. There are two ways you can sponsor a quilter: Sponsor a Student Quilter for a Year ($150). You can sponsor a quilter for an entire year. The sponsorship covers the cost of fabric, supplies, notions, tools (such as thread, quilt batting and replacement blades for rotary cutters) and sewing machine maintenance needed to continue our program. Sponsor a Graduate Quilter Release Kit ($250). One of the most crucial times for our students is when they are released from Coffee Creek, and — in many cases — confront an uncertain future. Women who have successfully completed all three quilts and are being released are eligible to receive a quilting kit of tools and supplies, so they can continue to use their newly acquired quilting skills as they find their way in the outside world. Each kit includes a donated and serviced sewing machine, cutting mat, rotary cutter, basic notions, and the fabric and batting needed to complete a quilt. It’s easy to make a donation. You can make an online donation with a credit card or PayPal. Or you can mail a check to us at Coffee Creek Quilters, P.O. Box 2672, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

Dewdrop Dolls & Stories is a company that sells doll/story kits designed to bring adults and kids together around the Dewdrop Doll characters. They contacted us recently, offering to donate kits for students in our prison quilting program to make as gifts. While we’re not able to use the kits in our classes, we’re happy to report that the company donated 35 kits to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility Head Start program. CCCF’s Head Start classes bring incarcerated women together with their children twice weekly, giving the moms an opportunity to bond with their preschool age kids and to prepare themselves for parenting after release from prison. Each Dewdrop Dolls & Stories kit comes with a story book that teaches a good character trait, fabric printed with the front and back of a doll to go with the story, two squares of the doll’s face to incorporate into a doll quilt, and instructions on how to sew and stuff the doll and make the quilt. Please visit the Dewdrop Dolls & Stories website to learn more about their products.

CCQ was featured in a Wilsonville Spokesman newspaper article this week. “Two for you and one for me” tells how our program, started 14 years ago by Koko Sutton, has grown from a small experiment to a successful program that teaches life skills along with quilting to women incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. The article’s title references the fact that each student makes three quilts. Two are donated to various organizations including Emanuel Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Meridian Park Hospital, Providence Elder Place, Salud Medical Center, and Camp Erin. Students keep their third quilt, or give it to a loved one. The Spokesman article offers a peak inside our Tuesday morning class, including pictures and interviews with students and instructors. “Thank you for your time and for believing in me,” one student said. “This is two hours a week that they feel like they’re regular people. That’s special,” said lead instructor Peggy Gelbrich.

Coffee Creek Quilters will exhibit during two days of Old Aurora Colony Museum’s 44th Annual Quilt Show, “Home at Last — An Aurora Sampler.” CCQ members will be at the show with examples of our students’ quilts on October 14 and 15. The quilt show runs October 14-23, 2016, 10 am to 4 pm daily. The Old Aurora Quilt Show celebrates the 160th anniversary of the founding of the Aurora Colony in 1856 AND the 50th anniversary of the Old Aurora Colony Museum. Nearly 100 traditional and contemporary quilts will be exhibited throughout the Museum and the historical Kraus House adjacent to the Museum, augmented by antique historical quilts from the Museum’s extensive collection. There will be other special exhibits during the quilt show including Quilts of Valor, a presentation by fiber artist and quilter Isaac Yoder, a display of 1800’s quilted skirts, petticoats, and bonnets collected by Cathy Harper, a quilt block contest, and more. Please visit the Museum’s website for details. The Old Aurora Colony Museum is located at 15018 Second Street NE, Aurora, OR.

Mary Ann McCammon is an instructor in CCQ’s Thursday class. She also travels to Eldoret, Kenya to teach quilting to women recovering from obstetric fistula surgery. Mary Ann works with Beyond Fistula, a small non-profit that supports women after surgery to reintegrate with their families and gain financial independence. In her most recent trip, Mary Ann learned that some of the Kenyan quilters prefer cutting fabric with scissors rather than rotary cutters. Ann (pictured at left/top), the production supervisor favors the type of scissors that Mary Ann brought to the class last November. CCQ’s Betty DeHaven located three of these from CCQ donations and Mary Ann shipped them to Ann in Kenya last month. “She’s thrilled,” Mary Ann said. “It’s another example of CCQ helping women.” Mary Ann also meets with the Eldoret Quilt Guild (pictured at left/center) when she travels to Kenya. “On my most recent trip I brought them a bunch of books, rulers and patterns that had been CCQ donations that our women couldn’t use. They couldn’t get their heads out of the books; they were delighted. In return, they are machine sewing the cloth pockets we hand sew on the back of the story quilts (pictured at left/bottom).” There will be a fundraiser to support the Beyond Fistula quilting program on Sunday, November 20th. Contact Mary Ann for details.

Coffee Creek Quilters will be a featured exhibitor at the Yamhill County Historical Society Treasures in the Attic quilt show on Saturday, September 17th. CCQ instructors Peggy Gelbrich and Gloria Richardson will be there with our exhibit and available to answer questions about our program. In addition, Peggy will show 14 of her own quilts and will give a presentation. Treasures in the Attic will be at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center, 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville, OR on Saturday, September 17th, 9 am – 5 pm. Please click on the flyer at left for additional details about this fun annual event.