Oyen quilters give gifts of comfort

By Joan Janzen

There’s nothing better than snuggling with a quilt on a cold, snowy day, and there’s a group of ladies who are making it possible. During the past eighteen months, Betty Walker, Vicki Smale, Doreen Rude, Budz Crace, and Kari Kuzmiski have joined forces to complete approximately 140 comfort quilts, which they donate within the Medicine Hat and Oyen area.

L-R: Vicki Smale, Doreen Rude and Betty Walker of Oyen display samples of the many quilts they make and donate within the Medicine Hat and Oyen region. Photo by Diana Walker

“Kari prints our labels and does embroidery at no charge,” Betty Walker explained. “And Budz Grace does our patch work tops.” Budz is a former Oyen resident who now resides in BC; however that hasn’t stopped her from helping out. The Oyen ladies send her scraps of material and sometimes Budz supplies some of her own material.

Doreen Rude resides at the Lodge in Oyen, where she keeps busy quilting for a cause. Meanwhile, Betty and Vicki meet at the Anglican Church in Oyen every Monday, where they spend the day sewing comfort quilts, which are 48 inches square, with some being larger and some smaller. All of these ladies volunteer their time and talents.

“We don’t put our quilts through a quilting machine because it’s not economical for us,” she explained. “We buy the batting and scrounge for the backing material.” Some is donated, and some is purchased at sale prices at different outlets.

The quilters don’t do any fundraising, but occasionally will sell some quilts in order to buy supplies. Recently a lady purchased twenty-four of their quilts for Christmas presents for her grandchildren and family members. “That was unusual,” Betty said. “We don’t normally do that.”

Most of the fabric used by the group is donated by local residents. “We work with what we have and anything that isn’t suitable for quilting is sent to people to use for crafts. Everything we get is used; nothing goes to waste,” she said.

During the past eighteen months, the quilters have given away quilts as fast as they can complete them. Some of them were sent to Medicine Hat, where 60 quilts were given to the Ronald McDonald House, 25 to the Nurture Pregnancy Centre, 25 to the women’s shelter, and some premie quilts were given to the Medicine Hat Hospital.

“We supply a quilt to every resident in the Oyen Lodge and to people in long-term care. We also give to the health unit so every new baby in the area gets a quilt,” Betty said. “We give at no charge.”

Over the years, the group has become smaller and lost members, but they’re always hopeful and welcome new quilters who would like to join.