Correction in bold

Known for helping the community through its philanthropic outreach, the Guild now plans to welcome the public at its bingo night.

By Mikaela STONE

The Glendale Quilt Guild is “stitching together” a bingo night full of fun on March 16 at the Verdugo Hills American Legion when not only will cash prizes be offered to winners but also a handmade quilt! The Guild hopes to find new members – no experience necessary! – and raise money for the thread and batting needed for the nonprofit.

The Quilt Guild supports an array of causes with the craftsmanship of its members, turning donated fabric into quilts for trauma survivors such as those recovering from the Maui fires. The Maui Quilt Shop received and distributed over 5,000 quilts from quilters across the nation. Many of the Quilt Guild’s quilts will also go to local families who were affected by the Maui Fire who either moved from Hawaii or have family threatened by the disaster. The Quilt Guild also crafts heart-shaped quilted pillows for veterans undergoing heart surgery that they can splint to their chests to ward off pneumonia; quilts for children involved in the Seven Stars Foundation, which funds military children to go to summer camps; and pillow cases for foster kids as many foster children are only able to take with them as many belongings as will fit in a pillow case.

Andrea Terry, president of the Guild, sees gifts like these as “wrapping yourself in a hug and love and knowing out there people care.”

This month, the quilters participated in the Teddy Bear quilt workshop where they created Teddy Bear-sized quilts to give to pediatric patients – and also sent Teddy Bears with them. Mernie Meier, a pediatric nurse, has seen firsthand the positive impacts of such quilts on children.

Nurses can use the patterns and colors to distract children during uncomfortable procedures such as changing a central line dressing. Pointing to a fairy printed onto the pink fabric, Meier asked, “What is the fairy thinking about?”

Allowing children to create little stories about their quilts and inspiring conversation helps to make a potentially frightening experience more comforting.

Meier, who is also a quilter, said she is “thinking about creating something fun and visually interesting … thinking about the child as I am making the quilt.”

One member of the Guild showed off a red, white and blue quilt she had patterned from memory, inspired by the local veterans. The quilt, patterned with spirals of thread in gradients of red, white and blue, will go home with a patriotic bingo player on March 16.

While such talent may seem daunting, a part of the Guild’s mission is for its members to never stop learning – and every new member brings valuable perspective, even if they have never sewn before. Terry confirmed that the Guild will meet quilters at whatever level they’re at. Part of the Guild’s meetings on the second Tuesday of every month is hosting experts who can teach different techniques and methods, whether on Zoom and in-person. In 2023, the quilters traveled to the California Quilting Exhibit in Ontario.

“We take care of each other,” Terry noted. “We are a community.”

Bingo night doors open at 5 p.m. on March 16 at 4011 La Crescenta Ave. with the first game at 6 p.m. Food and soft drinks will be available for purchase. The $25 tickets can be purchased by contacting Joanne at (818) 522-3956. Prospective members can check out the Quilt Guild’s website at glendalequiltguild.org. Monthly meetings are held the second Thursday of the month at the Womens Athletic Club of Glendale, 600 S. Verdugo Road in Glendale.