Metcalfe County quilt guild honors local veterans with handmade gifts

EDMONTON, Ky. (WNKY) — For members of the Peace Makers Quilt Guild, a finished quilt is more than fabric and thread. It is a personal thank-you to a local veteran.

The Metcalfe County group has made 98 quilts for veterans since starting the “Quilt For Heroes” program several years ago. Each one is presented during Edmonton’s Veterans Day ceremony, and no two look exactly alike.

Candy Shirley founded the guild in 2015 after placing an ad in the newspaper asking whether anyone else enjoyed sewing and quilting. Eleven people showed up for the first meeting.

Today, the guild has about 50 members.

A few years after the group formed, Becky London joined and suggested making quilts for local veterans. It was an idea she had carried with her for years.

“It’s just something that, over the years, had kind of been tugging at me,” London said. “My mother grew up, and her nephews and community members were all involved in World War II. She talked a lot about the things that they went through, and a few of them did not come back home.”

London’s husband also served in the military, making the project even more personal.

Depending on the pattern, a quilt can take days or weeks to finish. Members choose different colors, fabrics and designs for each recipient.

“As many quilts as we have given away, I’m not sure that we have duplicated the pattern on any of them,” London said. “It’s just amazing.”

The guild supports several other causes. Members have made pillowcases for deployed service members, quilts for nursing home residents and flood victims, and quilts for children entering foster care.

Still, Shirley said the veterans program means something different.

“I think Becky would agree with me that the quilts that we make for veterans have a special place in all of our hearts,” Shirley said. “We all really, really love honoring those people who have served our country.”

Some of the quilts have gone on to become treasured family keepsakes.

Shirley made one for Tom Hughes, a member of Edmonton Methodist Church who later died. His family displayed it at his funeral beside photographs from his life.

“It meant a lot to him, and that meant a lot to me to see that was something the family had decided to do with his quilt,” Shirley said. “They thought enough of that quilt, and it meant enough to them that they wanted it there with them.”

Shirley said other families have done the same.

London remembers one veteran crying when he received his quilt. The guild has also received thank-you notes from recipients and their relatives.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling to know that we’ve done this,” London said. “That’s the least that we can do for these people who have given their lives to serving our country and protecting our freedom.”

The project also carries the work of members who are no longer there.

Mary Morrison, a longtime guild member, died in October. Shirley said Morrison was determined to complete one final veteran’s quilt near the end of her life.

“She told us, ‘I want to finish this quilt before I pass,’” Shirley said. “And she did.”

Nomination forms for this year’s quilts are available at several locations around Edmonton. The deadline is Oct. 1.

The quilts will be presented during Edmonton’s Veterans Day ceremony.

The guild also accepts donations to help pay for fabric and longarm quilting. Contributions may be mailed to Peace Makers Quilt Guild, P.O. Box 113, Edmonton, KY 42129.

People interested in joining the guild or supporting the program may contact the Metcalfe County Extension Office or the Edmonton-Metcalfe County Chamber of Commerce.