Quilting all night for cancer

Jamie Doran

Valley Press

The Quilting House kicked off its second annual 30-hour quilting marathon Friday at the Thompson Falls Public Library. The marathon started at 10 a.m. Friday and went until 4 p.m. Saturday.

“Everything goes to the Sanders County Cancer Network,” one of the organizers, Charlotte Rowe said. “Last year we raised a little over $5,000 and this year we’re aiming for $10,000.”

Rowe said that everything is donated and all of the money they raise for the Sanders County Cancer Network stays in Sanders County.

Last year the Quilting House also donated two quilts to the Sanders County Cancer Network, which the organization raffled off. This year they’re donating one quilt and the Sanders County Cancer Network will either raffle or auction it off at their wine tasting event later on this fall.

While last year there were sponsors of the event, this year the Quilting House is the only sponsor and each quilter was responsible for raising money on their own.

Faith Storer has been involved with quilting for the past 10 years and took part in the 30-hour marathon last year. “We always have a good time, this is a great cause and we have a lot of fun doing it.”

The Quilting House has been around since 2001 and is involved in a lot of community service projects throughout Sanders County. They put on an Easter egg hunt, make quilts of valor, make preemie quilts for St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, knit booties and hats for babies at St. Patrick’s Hospital, make pillowcases for the hospital, especially for women with breast cancer, and do free mending for veterans. They also have quilt tops at the Quilting House if there is an organization who needs them to raise money.

“The pillowcases represent the community showing how much they care for its members,” quilter Barbara Farrington said. “Everyone needs help from time-to-time and it is important for us to be there when we can.”

Rowe said that the reason they’re involved in so many community service projects is because the women at the Quilting House just keep thinking them up.

“If we can think it up then we’ll do it,” Rowe said. “We’re very involved in the community especially with children.”

The Thompson Falls Women’s Council donated $50 to the Sanders County Cancer Network through the Quilting House and also donated meats, cheese and cookies to the quilters to help them through their 30-hours of quilting.

Edna Ralph, the women’s council president, said that her organization is thrilled to help support the Quilting House and their fundraiser for the Sanders County Cancer Network. “It is a great cause and we’re more than happy to help them out in any way we can.”

The quilters were having a great time at the start of the event and even a minor hiccup with quilting frame couldn’t damper their spirits. The frame was a little unstable and a new one was called in to make sure that the women would be able to get the quilt done at the end of the 30-hours.

While they waited, they gathered around to take part in the food Ralph and the women’s council had donated and to talk about their time spent quilting.

Rena Darhos said the women involved are absolutely amazing and that they have such a good time spending time together and quilting. “I’m a newbie to this, but I’m already hooked on it, they really suck you in.”

Quilter Nancy Wedemeyer joked that quilting is almost like a drug. “We give you the first one for free to get you hooked, and then once you’re hooked you have to pay to keep doing it and your quilts just keep getting bigger and bigger.”

Rowe said that they will continue taking donations from people who wish to donate to the Sanders County Cancer Network, and those donations can be taken to the Quilting House, which is on 215 Woodland Street in Thompson Falls.