Blanket Chronicles

91 And Still Stitching Away

When our Project Linus chapter was meeting at The Bunny Hop Quilt Shop we had a locker there for blanket drop offs. It was always a special surprise for me to see a bag in there with blankets along with the name of the maker. One of the blanket makers was a woman named Lorraine.  She made blankets of all sizes, using happy fabrics and most were quilted with a long arm. Maybe if the pandemic had not happened, I would not have met Lorraine. My home became the blanket drop off site when the quilt shop closed in May of 2020.

Lorraine contacted me and we arranged for her to drop her blankets off with me.  Through these drops offs, I learned more about Lorraine and I want to share a bit about her here.

Lorraine has always enjoyed sewing.  Like many of us she started to learn the craft in grammar and high school when girls learned all things  domestic.  When she married and had children, she made her daughters clothes until they did not want her to anymore! I bet that age is a number with teen after it.

Lorraine honed her sewing skills by taking quilting classes at College of the Siskyous.  She credits those classes with learning a lot as well as having fun with the process.  She made quilts for family and friends along with table runners and wall hangings. While looking for another outlet for her talent, she came across Project Linus and was pleased to  find our chapter in Humboldt County.

Lorraine told me that: “It has been so rewarding to know that the quilts I make bring comfort and warmth to someone.” She added that the project has also helped her use up some of her fabric stash.

In many ways, her profile is similar to a number of our Blanketkeers.  There is one difference, however, and that is that Lorraine is 91. She does not drive, so her daughter helps with transportation.  She says that her hands are not as limber as they used to be so she machine binds her quilts  as hand stitching is a challenge.  And her friend has helped with the quilting on her long arm. You can see a few of Lorraine’s wonderful blankets below.

 

I am a few decades behind Lorraine.  I find her quite inspiring.  Will I be making blankets in 20 years?  I hope so.  And I hope I can maintain the same positive and generous attitude toward helping others as she does.  We are happy that Lorraine found us and that we can pass along her wonderful blankets to children who need them.