The Citizen, 2003-11-12, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2003.
From the Minister’s Study
Quilts generate wealth of stories, goodwill
By Eugen Bannerman
Blyth United Church
Blyth United Church has just
concluded a highly successful
Community Quilt Show. Over 175
quilts were on display, folded over
pews in the sanctuary, hung in the
narthex, and displayed in the Sunday
School auditorium.
Quilts generate a tremendous
amount of enthusiasm. They also
generate a wealth of stories and
goodwill.
This was perhaps the most
remarkable thing about the show,
every quilt had a story. That means
175 stories. A writer’s paradise.
Stories about the materials used,
about the patterns created, about the
people for whom they were made,
about how they were passed down in
the family.
Here are some of the stories with
local settings.
One of the oldest quilts was made
in 1890, by Lavern Clark’s
grandmother, Mabel Gladstone. The
newest quilt was made by 13-year-
old Heidi Craig this summer as a
“learn to sew” project with her
grandmother, Jeanie Rettinger. She
stitched patches of blue jeans and
flannelette.
There was a quilt started in Blyth
by Alice Hakkers, taken and
completed in Holland, and brought
back to Blyth this spring. There was
a quilt made from the wedding dress
of Betsy Skelton, who was married
on Dec. 24, 1890 in Morris Twp.
Since it was a home wedding, and
since it was Christmas Eve, the bride
wore a red wedding gown, the red
dress was later quilted into a log
cabin quilt.
Janis Vodden, Betsy’s
granddaughter, brought along the
historic wedding photo and the
marriage certificate, signed by Rev.
Campbell of Jackson’s Church.
Phyllis Barfoot’s love quilt was
made of fabric from her mother’s
dresses. Her mother died when she
was five and her grandmother
quilted her clothes into blankets for
her and her two sisters. “So we could
wrap up in them for comfort.”
Most of the quilts on display were
handstitched, but a few were
machine-made, and some contained
liquid embroidery. “It took me 35
years to make mine,” said one
quilter, “I worked between stitches.”
In contrast, machine quilts can be
made in a day or two.
There was one quilt - and only one
- completely assembled and quilted
by a man. This is the story.
“This quilt was pieced and sewn
together by Edwin Barfoot on a new
sewing machine he had purchased
for his wife. She was away in
hospital after having surgery. He
wanted to try the new machine. He
then hand quilted and presented her
with the quilt upon her return from
hospital.”
One quilt was made as a husband
and wife team project. Fred Hakkers
pieced the log cabin quilt and Deb
Hakkers quilted it together.
There were two autograph quilts in
the show, both on loan from the
Memorial Hall. An autograph quilt
consists only of names of people
quilted into a block. The Blyth 125th
anniversary quilt was made in 2002.
It was quilted by Dorothy Daer in
her home. The names of over 700
Blyth residents are immortalized -
“as long as the quilt shall last.”
Two more stories.
In 1941, Margaret Smith
commissioned the UCW of Guelph,
to make a quilt on the occasion of
her husband Tom’s ordination. It
consisted of a dozen pictures of
gospel stories on white cloth, and
was called Bible stories.
Emily Phillips, one of Margaret’s
daughters, remembers sleeping
under the quilt when the children
were ill. To comfort them, her
mother would tell them the gospel
stories based on the quilt pictures.
When you sleep under a quilt,
you sleep under a blanket of love.
Perhaps Blyth’s most prolific
quilter is Effie McCall. Although
Effie had only three quilts in the
show, she told me she had pieced
together over 1,000 quilts. These
were given to the Londesboro ladies
to quilt. “And I don’t think I’m
Continued on page 17
254 Drummond St. E., Blyth
Saturday Night Mass
at 7:00 pm
Father John Johnson, Pastor
357-2435
< HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL >
SINGASONK^OF
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Wednesday
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn - 526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
Sunday 9:30 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship Service
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.- Youth
7:15 p.m. - Adult Bible Study
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
November 16
Ethel United Church
9:30 a.m.
Worship Service and Sunday School
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service and Sunday School
Remembering, Celebrating and Living our Faith
community Chore/! of
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"The Church is not a
Building,
It is People Touching
People"
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Sunday, November 16
Morning Worship Service - 10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
Wheelchair accessible
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
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NOVEMBER 16HOLY EUCHARIST W
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9:30 a.m. Il:l5a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
-Blyth United Church
I Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, November 16
Worship Service & Sunday School - 11:00 am
Lectionary: Seasons of the Spirit
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Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
Blyth United Church is a welcoming community of faith.
We celebrate God's presence through worship and study, and through
responding to the needs and gifts of each other.
Blyth Community Church of God
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"Persevering through Persecution"
Op Christmas Child SHOEBOX Dedication
POTBLESS, S. Bokhout Mission
10:30 a.m. ~ Contemporary Worship
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 523-4848
www.foc.on.ca/~dowfam
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Sunday 9:15 a.m. - Prayer Meeting
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School
11:00 a.m. - Worship Service
Several mid-week events
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E. ~ Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
All children ages 4-12 welcome
John 14:6 - Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me "
Call Pastor Andrew at 887-6123
Cornerstone
_ Bible
Fellowship JfS ?? , ft i1
Ethel
Sunday:9:45-10:30 - Communion
11:00- 12:00 - Family Bible Hour and Sunday School
7:00 pm ~ Evening Worship Service
Tuesday:7:30 pm ~ Prayer & Bible Study
Wednesday:7:00 - 9:00 pm - Youth (ages 12 & up)
Thursday,6:30 - 8:00 pm - Adventure Club (Oct. 16 - Nov. 20)
Coffee House
Every Sunday
night at
7:30 pm
Meet in the basement
308 Blyth Rd. E.
For information call 523-4590
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