Quilts Of The Heart

Have Found Their Way To Kids At Camp

Seventeen quilts were delivered to Karen Allen, the director of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, on June 2. The quilts were the result of months of work by members of Quilts of the Heart, a quilting group that meets weekly at Newtown Quilts in Sandy Hook.

Sandy Hook resident Lana Patane leads the group, which meets on Wednesday afternoons for what Mrs Patane describes as “an open house environment, so if people need or want help they can come in and get help from me and others.”

“I’ve always been a volunteer and served six years as president of The Connecticut Piece Makers Quilt Guild, and as co-chair for the guild’s annual show,” said Mrs Patane, who decided to bring that volunteer experience and her knowledge of the quilting world to her hometown. With the help of Julia Price, the owner of Newtown Quilts, who offered the use of her upstairs studio space, Mrs Patane volunteers every Wednesday for three hours, helping fellow quilters with their projects.

“We start with a free quilting lesson,” Mrs Patane told The Newtown Bee in March. “Each week I teach them different techniques and ways of quilting, different blocks they can make, different methods.”

The group works with donations, cobbling together quilts from pieces and scraps of fabric that have similar themes or colors.

During their weekly sessions, quilters work on projects that they have started at home or begin new projects. Members often work together on items that will be sent out. Quilts have been shared with veterans and military groups, including Quilts of Valor, the nonpolitical foundation whose mission is to cover all war wounded and injured service members and veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with wartime quilts.

Since October the ladies have done two projects for Quilts of Valor and quilts for Hole in The Wall Gang Camp.

“When I was president of Connecticut Piece Makers, Hole in the Wall made the request — actually Paul Newman himself called one of our members — and asked if we would consider making quilts for the camp. That was my first decision as president, and I said, ‘Yes, we would,’ without hesitation,” Mrs Patane said in March. “Since then the Connecticut Piece Makers continues to make quilts for the camp, and I continue to do this on my own, personally, and send them.

“Having other women make them with me assured that all the children who attend the camp receive a quilt,” she added. “We have six now, and I think by the time we’re ready to bring them up we’ll have another six. I think that’s a wonderful showing for such a small group.”

Many members enjoy the camaraderie and advice they find at hand while working with others.

“We had eight or nine people there one recent week,” said Mrs Patane. “People do different things — some cut fabric, some organize fabric, some are sewing blocks, others are putting blocks together. It’s really quite an operation.”

The group held a celebratory lunch on June 17 and is taking a summer break until September. Members will continue working on their projects until then. 

Quilters are welcome to contact Mrs Patane at 364-0014 to find out more about Quilts with a Heart and to find out when the group will resume its weekly sessions. Newtown Quilts is at 10 Glen Road in Sandy Hook; telephone 304-2041.