By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com
Members of a sewing club at Hilltop Manor in Cunningham have joined forces to create a full-size patriot quilt that features an eagle center with red, white, and blue sides that will be raffled off for July 4 as a fundraiser for the skilled nursing center. Those tickets are on sale now by contacting Hilltop Manor Administrator James Spurgin, by phone (620) 298-2781 or email hilltop@americareusa.net.
“I asked if they would be interested in doing something like this in March, but didn’t expect such a fantastic response,” said Spurgin. “They took ahold of this project and just went with it. It was so much fun to see them smiling and talking about it. We are all so proud of the result.”
Assisted by Sue DeWeese of Sue’s Ultimate Embroidery in Pratt, who donated all of the fabric and thread used in the quilt-making, along with Karen Horn of Treasures Three Fabric Shop (also in Pratt), the sewing club members spent hours planning, cutting, and finally sewing their project quilt.
“I think the outcome was the best part. It was just so beautiful. I went to my room and cried when we were done,” said sewing club member Judy Link. “It was a real accomplishment.”
Link, a former school secretary for Pratt USD 382, had quilting experience and has actually made more than 300 quilts on her own in past years. She said, however, that this patriotic quilt project made with her friends at Hilltop was very special.
“It was such an accomplishment for us,” she said. “We worked very hard on this, every day.”
Other quilters echoed Link’s statements of pride in a job well done.
Carol Spreier, a former Pratt resident for more than 20 years, said she was ready to get started on another one, the whole project just gave them such a purpose and a feeling of worth.
Donald Watkins also spend hours on the quilt and might have been partially responsible for the eagle centerpiece in the middle of the quilt.
“I graduated from Kingman High School in the 70s,” Watkins said.”Our mascot was the eagle. Those were the days when we spent a lot of time running back and forth to Pratt, pranking each other’s school mascots. We went there to paint the frog, they came here to paint the eagle.”
Now the connections made and the memories shared over quilting have taken on a new meaning. The members of the sewing circle have contributed their efforts to create this quilt that will be raffled off to raise money for their own outings and activities for all Hilltop Manor residents. Supervised by activity director Diana Hawkins, it is likely they won’t go out to prank mascots, but they look forward to getting out in the area communities more for fun events. They are also making plans to make more quilts.
Meanwhile, quilter Anita Friesen has put the final touches on the current quilt and it is ready for viewing, and for raffling. Tickets are also for sale at the Treasure’s Three Fabric Shop in Pratt.
