40 days, 14 women, 40 quilts

By Karen Peterson

Leader Staff

CHARLO — It took about 40 days and 40 nights, but even Noah would have been impressed, as 14 women in Charlo created more than 40 quilts in just over a month to donate to needy people.

“We want to put a bright spot in someone’s day. We think of little people and people in need,” Linda Esterby said.

The ladies have pledged to sew for a month each year since 2001. This year, they were already over that timeline by a week. So, on the last day of the project, last week, the motors on the sewing machines were rolling in high speed to finish the last few quilts.

“If it weren’t for all these ladies we wouldn’t be able to pull this off,” Pat Kerr said. “It is definitely a group effort.”

Last year, the blankets were donated to many organizations. The Intermountain Children’s Home in Helena, a camp for children withcancer, received blankets. Local firemen were stocked with blankets to keep on hand for people during fires or accidents. Safe Harbor women’s shelter received a few blankets, as well.

“We spread the donations out and give a few to a lot. And we keep a few in case we have a local need,” Esterby said.

This year the sewing group is including even more organizations to the list of recipients.

“We will also be donating little blankets to St. Luke’s maternity for the new babies. And we want to give to the Montana Highway Patrol so they will have a few blankets on hand,” Esterby said.

Many people donated the material for the quilting project and the group used every scrap.

“Pat sorted it, washed it and got it ready for us to sew,” Esterby said.

Someone in Arizona inadvertently did their part to help with the project.

“When I was traveling,” Esterby said, “I was talking to a lady in Yuma, Arizona about the project. I told her we were hurting for other material this year. That’s when she said, ‘Would you take a money donation?’ The lady said that she’d found a wallet with 50 dollars in it and she had tried to find the owner for the past two years but no one ever claimed it.

“She wanted us to have it because she said it wasn’t her money and she didn’t know what to do with it,” so they bought more material with it, Esterby said.

During the rest of the year, the ladies get together at the Senior Center, every Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to work on various craft projects, talk about concerts they’d like to see — Clint Black is a favorite — recipes they’d like to try and problems that they need to solve.

“Anyone is welcome to join us. Men can come too but I don’t know how many men would want to sit and listen to women’s problems,” Esterby said. “But they are welcome.”