By Taylor MacPherson

P.A. sewing group donates quilts to women’s shelter

Dec 6, 2016 | 4:37 PM

In Prince Albert a group of women have come up with a hands-on way of tackling violence against women by making and donating quilts to the city’s Safe Shelter for Women and Our House, the YWCA shelter for women and men.

Margaret Ferguson and her sewing group have been making the quilts for five years. Since starting in 2012, Ferguson and a dozen like-minded women have donated more than 200 quilts for women in need, averaging 50 each year.

Ferguson said the quilts are her way of giving back. Working on the quilts, she said, allows her to reflect on the needs of those less fortunate.

“It’s more than just a hobby,” Ferguson said. “Personally I find it almost a spiritual time. This is something I’m supposed to do.”

The idea to make and donate quilts came after Ferguson realized how difficult life can be for women and men who are left with nowhere to go due to difficult circumstances.

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“A lot of them are hopeless,” she said.

When someone is left with nowhere to go, Ferguson said, they are often left homeless and at the mercy of the winter. Without warm clothing or blankets, Ferguson said homelessness can present an immediate threat to life and limb.

“We average one death by freezing among the homeless every year,” Ferguson said. “One year there were four.”

The group accepts donations of fabric and yarn which helps members sew and tie the quilts in Ferguson’s basement two days each week. Some quilts are made of sturdy denim, while others are made for children in bright colours and patterns.

“There are quite a few little kids down at the women’s shelter,” Ferguson said. “Christmastime is a very difficult time for the shelter.”

The quilting group takes pride in recycling as much of their material as possible. Ferguson said she sends scraps too small to use as squares to a cousin who makes and donates dog beds, and even leaves out leftover bits of string for the birds to use as nesting material.

“The idea is to get as many out there as possible,” she said.

Although the quilts are always well-received at the shelters, and Ferguson has spotted her work in the hands of homeless individuals on cold days, she remains humble about her craft.

“This is just something we do,” Ferguson said. “I’m sure there are other groups in this city that do things; we do quilting.”

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews