Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, March 23, 2025
I paid my modest entrance fee, walked through the doors, and was immediately overwhelmed. I also surprised myself by starting to cry. But it was, as they say, all good.
Only two days before I’d heard a brief mention on the radio about a quilt show at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so Sunday afternoon found me in the midst of over 400 quilts.
I don’t consider myself a quilter; I did a bit of mild quilting a few decades ago, with considerable help. But I love fabric and color and design – and quite a few quilters.
I thought of my sister who died last June. I knew how she would approach this show. She would begin at the beginning and view every quilt, and read every accompanying description. I thought of my other sister, living across the continent from me, and how I wished she could be by my side this day. I thought of long-time cherished friends and expert quilters Carrol and Marilyn, and how they would have thoroughly enjoyed the show. I thought of my sweet mother-in-law who, after her husband’s death, found comfort in sewing quilt tops for each of her seven grandchildren.
Mourning the absence of family and friends while overwhelmed with the beauty surrounding me, I could understand why tears mingled with my smiles.
For over two hours I walked among the quilts, soaking in their beauty. The tears eventually trickled away, but my smile remained. I felt I was in God’s presence. I felt I was tasting heaven, and it was a feast. So much joy from a bunch of fabric? Why did it seem both happy and holy?
I don’t necessarily understand it all, but I do have a few ideas: I was immersed in a generous display of color, pattern, design, humor, patience, and creativity. Sounds like God to me!
And all the people I met that day were full of smiles and kindness. I talked with a quilt guild member who told me that many of their members were involved in community service projects, such as creating quilts for preemie babies, and people in hospice centers.
After I returned home I explored the guild’s website, quiltersanonymous.org, and discovered that last year members had delivered 793 quilts to premature babies in neonatal intensive care units in five local area hospitals, 241 quilts to nursing home residents, and 82 quilts to Evergreen Hospice patients, along with other charity projects.
Thinking of the time and resources and love invested in these quilt gifts, I sensed the heart at the core of this quilt show. It wasn’t about competition and awards, but sharing and service. One guild member encouraged me to become a member, but I told her I was “not really a quilter.” She said that didn’t matter. I felt welcomed, even though holding no credentials to prove my worth.
I wondered if I should join the guild, just to be part of something so full of heart and beauty. And then it hit me: that’s my picture of church. I’m a happy member of a denomination with churches, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions around the world. But it’s my joy to live and love locally, in a church that shares and serves, because we love and follow Jesus.
Who knows? Someday I might pick up needle and thread and try quilting again, or join a quilters’ guild – or be content serving in and through a church that tries to reflect the love of our Creator God, Maker of all that is beautiful, good, and true.
Careful to check in advance that it was OK to photograph the quilts, I blissfully took more than 100 photos last Sunday. A bit unsure of the ethics of sharing one of those photos here, I decided to do something even better: the photo you see at the beginning of this post is of a quilt I cherish because my sister made it for me.