Villages Quilters’ Year in Review

The 34 members of the Villages Quilters have had a busy year. Many of their activities continue into 2025.

A large focus of the group is quilting for others. Meetings on the second and fourth Fridays are devoted to charity quilting. Many of our quilts go to Project Linus through the local chapter of a much larger organization. In 2024 our small group made and donated 283 quilts to Linus. Villages Quilters also donated 22 quilts to our Villages Medical Association, and four quilts to Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association for their Comm unity Quilts program. They donated 18 quilts to North Carolina hurricane victims, and eight to Cameroon. Other donations went to PAMF/SUTTER Health chemo patients, along with 20 polysatin pillowcases for patients who lost their hair during cancer treatment.

A goal of the Quilters’ group is to honor every veteran in the Villages with a Quilt of Valor. This past year there were three presentations to veterans, in May, July and November, with 15 quilts in total presented. Since 2020, 31 veterans have been honored and thanked for their service by our group. Veterans must complete an application with information about their service in order to receive a quilt. Contact Nancy Chesterton at 818-469-0551 for more information and an application.

We are grateful for several small donations from individual and the Veteran’s group to buy supplies for these projects.

Activities this past year included a five-day Quilt Camp at St. Francis Retreat Center in San Juan Bautista with Villagers and their guests. In late September a mini-Quilt Camp was held on a Saturday and Sunday at Foothill Center.

On Labor Day weekend, Quilters sponsored a Front Porch Quilt Show in The Villages. Quilts were exhibited in front of members’ homes, address published ahead of the event, and many people toured to see the colorful works of art.

President Sandy Jurasich leads the business meetings on the first and third Fridays. Villages Quilters members plan the events and donations, and share their work as it is completed.  On months with a fifth Friday, learning activities are planned. Last year we learned about a quilt with a story, and sewing on cork with a small project. We had an interactive project that invited participation during Club Expo. The blocks that were made that day became part of three quilts that went to Project Linus.

Interested Villagers are invited to visit one of our meetings. Business meetings and sharing are on the first and third Friday, at 10 a.m. in the Patio Room, Cribari Center. Charity Sewing and projects are on the second and fourth Friday, same time, same place. 

Don’t forget to contact Nancy Chesterton for a Quilt of Valor for yourself, or on behalf of someone you know.