Penny Ten Pas is the chairperson for this project

In 2021 a new project was proposed by Bonnie Doyle to provide lap quilts for those in nursing homes.  Penny Ten Pas was president of SCQG at the time and working as a hospice nurse.  She had access to all the local nursing homes and asked the directors and administrators; they loved the idea.

This year we are accepting lap quilts which are used for wheelchairs of sizes 32-42” wide by 36-42” long.  We are also accepting bed topping quilts, which can be from 42” X 54”  to 50” X 80” and anywhere in between.  The larger quilts will be used by nursing homes as a welcoming quilt and will be used on top of their bed for decoration, and to cover them when they take a nap during the day, or for additional warmth when resting or sleeping. 

Quilts at nursing homes are washed often using industrial machines. Because of this we recommend machine binding the quilts.  A label is optional, can have your initials, first name, first and last name, the guild’s name, a personal message, i.e. “Handmade for you”, and can even have our guild’s label. 

Finished, clean quilts may be dropped off at any of the in person SCQG meetings.  If 100 + quilts are received by the July meeting, we will make a delivery in July and November, otherwise we will limit to delivery in November only.

Quilt inspiration can be found at https://maryquilts.com/  the bottom right column lists hundreds of block and quilt patterns.  Consider finding a block(s) you haven’t pieced before and put together in a sampler quilt.  You may add borders and sashing to the quilts in order to make the recommended sizes.  The charity quilts are a perfect way for you to improve your skills in piecing accuracy, binding and quilting.  Please, refrain from using embellishments that can easily fall off during heavy use or washing/drying.

In 2023, 120 quilts were delivered to 7 nursing homes:  Meadowview, Sheboygan Progressive, Sunny Ridge, Sheboygan Health Services, Sheboygan Senior Community, Morningside, and Rocky Knoll.  Since 2021 we have donated 279 lap quilts to Sheboygan county nursing homes.