Dozens of colorful, handcrafted patchwork quilts blanket the pews at Ripley United Church of Christ in Traer on Saturday, March 21, during the first-ever Traer Quilt Experience. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TRAER – The community of Traer came together on Saturday, March 21, for the inaugural Traer Quilt Experience: Binding Faith and Community with Patchwork. The banner event was co-hosted by Ripley United Church of Christ, the Traer Public Library, and the Traer Historical Museum with support from local businesses, Traer Municipalities, the Traer Chamber of Commerce, and numerous members of the community both past and present.

At Ripley UCC, Mission Quilts held down the pews and splashed color everywhere! A delicious meal, served in the Fellowship Hall, was provided by the Ripley Missions Committee and Traer United Methodist Church members. The lucky winner of the quilt raffle was Cassandra Gaston.

Visitor comments recorded at Ripley included:

-Had a blast!

-Beautiful quilts.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

-Loved it! (Grundy Center Ladies)

-We’re amazed! (Cedar Falls Ladies)

-Beautiful work! Thank you for a wonderful display.

-Especially loved the stories!

Comments were also collected from among the individuals, groups, and organizations who helped make the Traer Quilt Experience a well-stitched triumph.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Patty Calderwood | Ripley Missions Committee

The Ripley UCC Mission Committee along with our friends from the United Methodist Church across the street put together a lunch of soup and sandwiches topped off with slices of homemade pie. We are appreciative of the support of the meal – many who enjoyed the Quilt Experience also got to sit down and fellowship over a meal. There has not been a determination of where the proceeds from the meal will be allocated but you can be sure they will help a worthy cause. Our current Mission budget helps to support our quilt ministry by purchasing supplies, batting and fabric as needed.

Josie Hulme | Hudson Community School District art teacher

Having grown up attending Ripley UCC, I always loved the Sundays when we’d bless the quilts before they were sent out to those who needed them most. I’ve always known how special our group of quilters is though seeing it on Saturday at the event, it was incredibly special. I was so glad some of my students, from another community, could add to the experience. They enjoyed learning about quilts and were amazed at the number of quilts produced by this group in a year, and also that they gave the quilts away to those in need at no cost! Students enjoyed finding a pattern they liked best or creating their own. Many chose to use fabric to create their block and found it difficult and rewarding to manipulate and work with. Special thanks to all those who put so much work into this event. It was incredible.

Carol Boyce | Traer Historical Museum

Ninety six guests attended the quilt show at the Traer Historical Museum from all over Iowa as well as several states, including Texas, Kansas, Illinois, and Minnesota. Their comments in our guest book included descriptions such as awesome, a great event, amazing, love the quilts, how wonderful the museum looks! A group from Grundy Center is planning a quilt show this fall and expressed an interest in learning from the Traer organizers on how to structure their event.

The museum had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day. Many overheard comments included awe for the talents of those who made the quilts and respect and admiration for the history surrounding the quilts belonging to the museum. The handout explaining the story behind each quilt hanging in the museum was greatly appreciated by attendees. Visitors also enjoyed seeing the student quilt squares made by the Pied Piper preschool children and Hudson art students.

Author Cherie Dargan was impressed with the 42 visitors who attended her author presentation. She shared, ‘This is a very engaged group, the largest and the most enjoyable group I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of.’ She has offered to donate additional copies of her book to the library.

Teresa O’Meara | C.H.A.T.

CHAT was so appreciative of being asked to participate in this incredible event. Being very thankful recipients of the quilts for our Adopt-A-Family, it was an honor to be included. The quilts have benefited many families. Being invited to have a table at this event offered the opportunity for people to ask questions about the work CHAT does in the North Tama community.

What a wonderful day. I heard numerous comments about not only the beauty of the quilts, the incredible “gifting” of the project, but what a wonderful community Traer is. There are not enough thanks for all the good this day brought to so very many.

Annika Wall | Cedar Valley Hospice community engagement specialist

It was an honor to be included in this event. Not only did we get to talk to event attendees about our organization, but we also got to learn more about the quilting process with the Ripley Stitchers. We’re grateful they generously donate their quilts to our patients and families, who are very impressed and in awe of their beauty and quality. It’s a special handmade touch we’re able to offer, and the Ripley Stitchers are one group that helps make it happen.

Christine Rolf | Americans for Independent Living

So many people were deeply impressed by the quilts; when I explained that they are gifted to veterans in need and those in our transitional housing, it added even more meaning. The veterans are always so touched to receive something so beautiful made specifically for them. As Director, I was personally moved. It’s hard to grasp the sheer scale of the effort until you see all those stunning quilts laid out together – it actually brought tears to my eyes. This group of women is remarkable, and their generosity toward mission groups is inspiring.

Bob Olinger | Ames Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Our presence enhanced our top priority for this year — that is to increase awareness of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. We want to get the word out that we supply free beds to kiddos 3 – 17 yrs. old that don’t have one. Our mission is “NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN.” Although we don’t serve the Traer area at present, we hope arrangements will change to not only being able to serve the Traer area but surrounding areas. We are totally grateful to the Ripley quilters who supply homemade quilts that top off the beds delivered. The kiddos are overjoyed and grateful to receive them.

Kim Coulter | Soul Stitching member

As a remote member (Ankeny) of the Ripley Soul Stitchers, I attended the quilt festival in Traer on Saturday. My first stop was the downtown Traer Public Library which celebrated National Quilt Month by displaying “mini” barn quilts, paintings and books from the library’s collection. I was glad to see many quilts by quilter Cynthia Stary Drajna (a former quilting instructor who held classes at the library before she passed away) – her beautiful quilts were displayed amongst the various quilting books. As I greeted the women, men and students who came to see the quilts, I tried to find out where everyone was from, and found visitors from various Iowa locations, including Ankeny, Buckingham, Cedar Falls, Grundy Center, Marshalltown, Palo, Reinbeck, Shellsburg, Traer, Vinton, and Waterloo. I was surprised to hear that one of our visitors brought a foreign exchange student who was from Belize!

I spoke with Shelia Mason who actually pieced and hand quilted the heart quilt on display. She was a friend of Cynthia. Shelia is from Palo and had heard Cynthia speak to her local church women’s group many years ago when Cynthia still had a store in Traer. For National Quilt Day, Sheila had come to specifically see her late friend’s quilts displayed at the library. When she first met Cynthia, she became a regular hand-stitched quilter for Cynthia”s contacts. Since they first met, Shelia has now hand-stitched 299 quilts with number 300 currently on the rack.

Another acquaintance of mine came to see the quilts, Lu Lorenzon; she received a quilt from Ripley Soul Stitchers when her husband Loren was in hospice through the Grundy County hospital. Before he passed away, the hospice nurses gave him a quilt and Lu was pleasantly surprised to find it was made in nearby Traer by the Ripley UCC quilters. Lu plans to “pay-it-forward” to others in need of the warmth and comfort of the quilt during hard times.

I also made it to the downtown Traer Historical Museum. They, too, had a wonderful display of quilts amongst their antiques and museum pieces. The highlight was author Cherie Dargan who spoke regarding her “Grandmother’s Treasures” series of books. One of the books was about a quilt that was a mystery of how it came to be in their family’s possession.

Another person of interest that I met was Nancy (Herrig) Sorenson from Ankeny. Back in the day, she actually attended middle school in nearby Dinsdale. She remembers coming to Traer for the “Return the Favor” quilt mission club. Coordinators were Pat and May McKenny from 1990-2005. They would meet monthly at the Traer Memorial Building to make quilts for missions. Quilt fabric was pre-cut and packaged with supplies for volunteer participants to piece together and sew at their leisure. Much like assembly-line quilting. The quilts were then given to the local hospice services. This mission came to be due to May McKenny, who was a local 4-H leader and taught at Dinsdale when her daughter passed away.

Pastor Jim Coppoc | Ripley UCC

Church should never begin and end in the pews. The work of a healthy church today is the same it was in the time of Jesus – love God, love your neighbor, and behave accordingly. When I see these quilts going out the door to so many worthy organizations, and then when the stories come back about how they have directly helped those in need, I feel like I have witnessed something deeply central to the Christian faith.