Staff at Mook Fabrics aim to make 100 quilts for Ronald McDonald House

Smith has been quilting for 27 years, and in addition to finding the hobby relaxing and a great social activity, she loves being able to make special gifts.

“You can go out and buy a gift, but you can’t get that same value of the special stitches that you put through a quilt when you give it away,” she said. “It just gives you that special feeling. It’s a gift that you created.”

This year a quilting club began at Mook Fabrics, where employees can share and teach each other techniques. Smith says the conversation from the customers gave her an idea for the group.

“I approached the girls and said “You know, would you be interested in doing some quilts to donate to the new Ronald McDonald House that’s coming here?’ and everybody in the retail department was quite excited,” she said.

Cost of materials and time were one of the earliest issues for the project. Smith says once the project was brought forward to management, they were on board, and would provide the fabric to make the quilts, something Smith is

“Quilting is a very expensive hobby,” she said. “I mean for us, with our goal being at 100 quilts, it would have almost been an impossible task. we probably would have gotten 10 done.”

Suzanne Pescod, director of marketing and communications with Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta, says quilts are a popular donation item in communities where the houses are located. All children who stay in the homes receive a quilt.

“Quilts are such an important part of the fabric of Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta,” she said over the phone from Edmonton. “They bring so much comfort and warmth to children and families who stay there. We hear from families 20 years (later) whose children still have their quilts, and many of them have passed them down to their own children. It is an incredible part of bringing the community together.”

A close up of one of the quilts made for Ronald McDonald House (photo by Ross Lavigne)

The group now numbers 15, and includes employees and family members. They meet twice a month in the evenings to work on the quilts.

Tina Friesen, an employee that is part of the group, says the team helps make the quilts quicker.

“Some people sew, some people iron, and some people put the blocks together, and that helps us a lot,” she said. “It’s been really nice.”

Tina Friesen with Mook Fabrics sews pieces for a quilt that will be donated to the local Ronald McDonald House (photo by Ross Lavigne)

In two months, 18 quilts have been completed, with many being displayed in the store. Another 16 quilts are close to being finished.

Both Friesen and Smith say the fact they know the quilts will help lift a child’s spirits during a traumatic time makes the work worth it.

“Knowing how they will feel, that’s what it’s all about,” said Friesen. “Just the work that goes into it, it goes through people’s hearts.”

“Either you’ve got a child of your own, a grandchild, a niece or nephew, or you’ve got a friend’s child, and at some point in time, you get affected by sickness,” said Smith. “When you put both together, it’s kind of, I guess like a string that pulls at your heart.

“So you know, when you realize a little child is going to leave the hospital, go back to the Ronald McDonald house, and cuddle up in a quilt that you helped make, like I said, money can’t buy those feelings.”

Three of the quilts for Ronald Mcdonald House in Medicine Hat hang above the tills at Mook Fabrics (photo by Ross Lavigne)

by Charles Lefebvre

Staff at Mook Fabrics aim to make 100 quilts for Ronald McDonald House

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