Community Outreach

Gathering Fabric Quilt Shop is more than just a place buy materials and learn to quilt. Our quilters and instructors also work to find ways to use their talents to benefit the community around them. Our projects are detailed here. It is our hope that this page continues to grow as the giving spirit of our quilters finds new ways to help improve the world around us.

August 2006

American Hero Quilts were born out of the love and compassion of one determined Washington State woman. Her dream is that each of our injured troops returning home from war through Madigan Army Medical Hospital and other military hospitals, receive a "hug" of appreciation. These "hugs" are exceptional patriotic, heirloom quality quilts. Each is unique, created by many loving hands, and many are long-arm quilted by the creator of this project.

June 2005
Charity Quilters raise $1000 for Eastside Domestic Violence at their annual auction in May 2005. Several other quilts placed directly with survivors.

Calling all quilters to make quilts for Evergreen Hospice. There is an urgent need in our community for quilts for dearly departed.

Hello Susan. I don't know if you or your quilting buddies are ever looking for a community service project but I discovered an incredible need for quilts at Evergreen Hospice. I am attending a Grief & Loss Support Group there and learned that they use quilts as a covering for the deceased as they are taken out of the facility. What a warm and comforting vision to see your loved one draped in a beautiful handmade quilt. My understanding is that the families become attached to these quilts at such a trying time and so the supply often diminishes and there is unfortunately a great need for them. Please pass this on to anyone you feel might be interested.
Thanks,
Ellen

Rotary Club of Woodinville commissions local quilter to help raise the second million for our community. Wine Country Picnic by Lynn Majidimehr is offered up for raffle.

Quilts of Valor from Woodinville Quilters will ship to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC for our men and women coming home.

Tsunami Relief - Thanks to all who bought bali batik fabric during our tsunami relief fundraiser. Just under 200 yards were sold. Proceeds were donated to Mercy Corps in Portland, Oregon. 02/04/2005

Quilt For the Cure - In the spring of 2004 our quilters responded to the American Patchwork and Quilting Quilt For The Cure Quiltblock Challenge. The quilts made from those blocks and those of thousands of other concerned quilters nation-wide will be sold on Ebay to raise money for breast cancer research.Update 10/22/2004:The quilts are being put up for auction now on a weekly basis. To see the current selection of finished quilts and possibly make your own bid, visit the website on Ebay.

Charity Quilt Challenge - In the spring of 2003 we challenged our Saturday Sampler quilters to make an additional quilt block each month. When January came, we collected the blocks and held a quilt-making party! The resulting quilts were donated to the Eastside Domestic Violence shelter and to a local senior home.

Rotary Quilt 2003 - Tina Sutherland donated her time to make this racing-themed quilt for the Woodinville Rotary Club for their annual auction to raise money for the new teen park adjacent to Woodinville High School.

www.charityquilts.org - Susan Webster, proprietor and owner of Gathering Fabric Quilt Shop has taken the first steps towards the establishment of a charitable foundation that will be built around the talent and generosity of quilters.

Lessons From The Geese

In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in a "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way.

It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation the whole flock has at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Quite similar to people who are part of a team and share common direction, they get to their destination quicker and easier because they are traveling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed in the same direction that we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired he rotates back in the wings and another goose takes over. It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed. Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressure and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging, otherwise it's just -----well, honking.

Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out of the formation, two other geese fall out and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead. When one of us is down it's up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other  when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.

The next time you see flying geese in a quilt, remember the lessons of the geese.