Soft Comforters for Hard Times
By Judy Howard, 'The Quilting Queen'

Snuggling beneath Grandma's quilt made from scraps of my favorite first-grade dresses is like wrapping my heart in the warmth and security of my childhood memories. With the economy spiraling out of control, all my fears and anxieties dissolve as I cuddle up in Grandma’s comforter and remember the hardships she survived during the Great Depression. Her family and friends pulled together to help one another, and so can we.

Bombarded by news of gloom and doom that leaves us feeling powerless to control our destiny, Americans are turning their focus away from materialism and our complex lifestyle and returning to our basic core values found in God, family and country. We’re stepping back to the simple pleasures our grandparents found in family, church and community togetherness. We’re rediscovering the true source of our nation’s strength— keeping the family hearth flame bright. We’re teaching our children Christian values of hard work, sacrificial service to others and the importance of wholesome family togetherness. And we’re developing useful skills like quilting to keep our hands and minds productive to live above the gloom.

Going back to basics doesn’t require money. During the Great Depression, Grandma created beautiful quilts using nothing but a pattern from the newspaper or magazine and lots of scraps recycled from my old clothing, bedding, curtains and feed sacks. She lived green.  Recycling was not a movement back then, but just plain common sense. She practiced mottos like "Waste Not, Want Not" and "Necessity is the Mother of Invention." In the midst of hard times, Grandma’s nesting instinct thrived with the desire to provide a cheerful, cozy home atmosphere, decorated and beautified by comforting quilts.

Making a quilt—like planting a tree—is an act of love and faith and it demonstrates hope in the future. Leaving a lasting legacy to tie generations together with cords of love, quilts provide a tangible reminder so we won’t be forgotten, There is a prayer in every stitch that the one sleeping beneath it will be covered by the Almighty—safe and blessed. Quilts provide a touch of God’s unconditional love and comfort and inspire optimism and hope.

Quilting Bees are popular again as a means of socializing and solving the entire world problems around a quilting frame or sewing machines. The heart felt exchange when people express their sorrows and share their joys, hopes and dreams is emotionally healing. Just as women quilted their way through the original Great Depression, women today are piecing their brokenness into beauty, forging their ways into a brighter tomorrow. They’re piecing together all of life’s hardships, suffering, victories and joy as they stitch true tales of courage against insurmountable obstacles into heart-warming patchwork.