There is something so unique and special about receiving the gift of a quilt that it defies words to explain it. A quilt brings with it warmth and comfort and a sense of nurturing from each stitch, born from the hours of work required to make it by hand. Enmeshed in the soft cloth, in the patterns and in the thread is the love and care of the person who made it.
The 75 members of the Kings Point Quilting Club have made it their mission to share the love, comfort and their hard work with others. Each year they bring quilts to the nation’s wounded warriors in the Tampa VA hospital. This year, they are also donating quilts to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It is an act of love and compassion felt long after the gift has been given. It is felt each time one of their quilts is placed on a lap or pulled to a chin. The feeling is palpable and unmistakable.
Next month, the public is invited to see for themselves the love, dedication and countless hours of work that goes into making a quilt. On March 8, the Kings Point Quilters, in conjunction with the community’s Spring Fling, will hold an exhibit of their quilts in a show entitled “Color Our World With Quilts.” The show, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will span two rooms in the North Clubhouse with more than 100 quilts expected to be on display. There will also be a boutique area in which handmade items will be for sale.
“It will be a big event at Kings Point and we’ll be a part of it,” said show chairperson Mary McLaughlin. “We’ll have some of the big quilts that members have been making along with wall hangings and several exhibits.”
In April, several club members will also exhibit their work as part of a juried fiber arts show at the SouthShore Regional Library in Ruskin.
“We like to educate the community,” McLaughlin continued. “Most people don’t realize what quilting is but when they come, they are in awe. They’d be even in more awe if they knew how much these things cost!”
The March 8 event will be the club’s third biennial quilt show. They are hoping for a good turnout so people can see for themselves the results of so many hours that can only be described as a labor of love.
“There is a lot of interest in people doing hands-on types of things these days,” McLaughlin said. “We quilt for our own children and grandchildren and we do our charity work. We try our very best.”
The club’s “very best” comes through in their quilts, as gifts to those suffering an injury or a disease or for those merely suffering from a hard day at work. A quilt is special, the love and hard work is unmistakable. On March 8 at Kings Point, you can see that for yourself. The feeling can’t be missed; it is in every stitch of thread, in every piece of soft fabric. A quilt is a labor of love.
The Kings Point Quilt Show, held in conjunction with Spring Fling, will include exhibits and refreshments, along with the opportunity to meet club members and learn techniques in quilt making. The event is free and open to the public.