Isolation quilt-block makers share their stories. There’s still time to submit yours.

 

By Mary Spring

Terri Howell and I have had such a great response to our Isolation Quilt. We gave people lots of time to think about their “isolation in the pandemic” ideas and the stories are wonderful. In a way, we are all writing a chapter in Canada’s history. Fifty years from now our great-grandchildren will study history and learn about the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am especially impressed with the squares designed by the children! Their parents or grandparents took the time to teach a great skill and to get them thinking about how their lives have been impacted by this difficult period of time.

The deadline for the Isolation Quilt squares is July 15. People still have time to design their 8-inch by 8-inch square. (If yours is a bit bigger, we can trim.)

After the 15^th, we will begin to sew the quilt together. Who knows…we may have enough squares for two quilts!

Libby Duncan has volunteered to sew the backing of the quilt for us. Quilt squares can be dropped off at Family Place Restaurant in Huntsville (1 King William Street).

Here’s what some of those who have already submitted squares have said about their creations:

“You will see that the edges have not been hemmed,” said Carol Gibson of her square pictured below. “I wanted rough edges, as there have been rough edges and times throughout this pandemic. I also did all hand sewing, which shows that not all of the stitches are the same and uniform. We are all dealing with this pandemic in different ways. What remains the same are the stars in the sky and the flowers in the water. The butterfly is a symbol of re- birth and we are definitely going through a change these days. Like is a trip…not necessarily a travelling one now, but something to look forward to in the future. We are on a different kind of trip now. The two hearts represent Carol and her husband Will, who are self isolating now.”

 

Deanna Lavigne said that, “Having the world shut down gave me time to notice the emergence of spring. I took a photo of some trilliums while on a hike through Arrowhead Provincial Park as the trilliums were starting to bloom. COVID-19 gave me the gift of time which I have used to walk outside and enjoy the natural beauty of Muskoka.”

 

Mary Edmonstone calls her square Walking Through the Seasons of 2020, and said, “A friend and I have been ‘walking apart’ on our country road since early March. We began in winter conditions with every kind of cold and wet weather. Our views of dreary skies gradually turned to the greens of fields and forests, and now the blaze of summer sun, with bright rays of hope for the future.”

 

Paige Francis is four-years old. Her mom Laura helped her to sew her quilt square. “I planted flower seeds in my garden at home and then it started to snow outside,” she said.

 

Donna Parlee wrote, “For much of my time in isolation I only felt safe inside my home, which I imagined being enclosed in a golden bubble of protective light. Every day I am grateful that I was able to stay safe at home.”

 

Diane Taylor from Walkers Lake incorporated a mask—which will be required for indoor public spaces starting July 13—into her design.

 

Simon Mathies (below right) “wanted a Blue Jay on my quilt because I like to watch the birds and listen to the birds. I like to find out what different birds look like and sound like. I do this with my Opa…and now with my family, too.” Simon is five-years old.

Isla Mathies (below left) “picked hearts for my quilt block because being home from school with my family reminded me about how much we love our family and friends. So much love for so many people. I also like to think that we love the earth, too.” Isla is seven-years old.

 

And, finally, meet eight-year-old Kathryn Sirek. She and her six-year-old brother Mylan designed their square for our Isolation Quilt. Look carefully at their square. Kathryn and Mylan’s father Adam Sirek is a doctor in Windsor. When the pandemic began, they travelled with their mom Danielle up to Tasso Lake to live with their grandparents, Loli and Jan Sirek. This, everyone agreed, was the safest thing to do. They miss their daddy, as you can see from their art. Thank you, Kathryn and Mylan.

 

The quilt or quilts will be either raffled off or sold in a silent auction to raise money for a children’s foundation or food bank in Huntsville.

 

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