TOWER- Quilting is a hobby that takes time, skill, and patience, but for members of Vermilion Dream Quilters, it comes with something even more rare these days— a desire to care for others.
The Dream Quilters, a quilting guild with members throughout the area, spent last year not only sewing amazing quilts for themselves and their families. They also donated thousands of hours crafting quilts or other warm and cozy gift items for those in need of a special kindness, including people undergoing life-saving medical treatments, infants and children in area hospitals, or area veterans.
The group donated well over 500 items in 2024, including quilts, pillowcases, knitted items, fabric bags, stuffed animals, and slippers. That included 70 chemotherapy survival bags, colorful quilted bags used to hold supplies for patients undergoing treatment at Essentia in Virginia. They crafted almost 100 chemotherapy hats for patients there as well. They sewed Christmas stockings for adults living at Vermilion Senior Living in Tower and donated items for the Festival of Trees fundraiser for Northwoods Partners. They even created five pet beds for the Mesabi Humane Society and donated a quilt to a Habitat for Humanity family. The Lake Vermilion knitting group, made up of several quilting guild members along with a few others, tallied over 12,000 hours of volunteer time in 2024, donating almost 500 knitted items to babies being treated at the NICU unit at the Mayo Clinic.
A large sample of the items being readied for donation this year were on display at the group’s monthly meeting in Tower, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church.
“We are so pleased with all the different types of items being made and donated,” said group member Kathy Lovgren. “I was so proud of all the donations,” Lovgren added. “It shows that our members do more than just sew for their families. They care about their communities and people in need.”
The group gives creative types, who often are working alone, a chance to connect with and learn from their peers.
“I get inspired seeing all the things being made,” said Jill Wagoner. “I like to gather with other quilters,” Wagoner said as she showed off a beautiful large, kitchen-themed quilt she had recently completed.
Lois Garbisch, of Cook, said enjoys seeing all the beautiful items being created, and wishes she had more time to complete projects. “Life is just too short,” she said.
While many members are avid quilters, others are creative types who also enjoy sewing. Alberta Whitenack is a quilter, but also an artist, and active member of the Northwoods Friends of the Arts in Cook. She attends guild meetings with a group of friends who drive over from Cook each month. The guild is open to all who want to learn more about quilting.
Trash to treasures
The guild held their annual “Trash to Treasures” bucket raffle fundraiser at their March meeting. Members brought in a wide collection on unused fabrics, patterns, notions, and other quilting-related items that were raffled off, raising just over $300 for the Tower Food Shelf. And while some members truly were excited to win the items of their choice, others just saw the raffle as a chance to raise funds for a good cause.
Dream Quilters
The guild started about 25 years ago in Tower, after Corinne Hill opened a quilting shop on Main Street. The quilt shop is now closed, but the guild lives on.
The group meets monthly on the first Thursday at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Tower. In winter, meetings are in the afternoon, but the rest of the year they start at 6:30 p.m. Membership in the guild is $15 a year. The group sponsors sewing days, quilting challenges, and quilting retreats, open only to members. Meetings feature a demonstration, usually focusing on sewing and quilting techniques, and time for show-and-tell where members bring in completed projects to share with the group. Group member Kathy Lovgren said the retreats are one of the most popular benefits of being a member of the guild. Anyone wishing to learn more about the guild can contact Kathy at 218-753-2413.