Once a month, a handful of neighborhood ladies comfortably seat themselves along the edges of two narrow tables. As they become situated, their threads already in hand, material is strewn over their laps and their faces sport smiles, hinting they are more than ready to start quilting.
They call themselves the Nimble Thimbles, and they have been meeting together for the past 18 years. They currently meet at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center.
The group provides quilts for children entering Dallas’ Ronald McDonald home, which provides care for terminally ill children and their families.
The Covers for Kids Civic Project (the project’s official name) is a rewarding experience for club members and the children who receive them, says club member Marie Spriggs.
“It’s a comfort quilt for the children when they are being treated for their illnesses,” Spriggs says.
Constructing just one quilt takes enormous time, effort and money, Spriggs says.
“They told me a quilt and a baby take nine months,” laughs Spriggs, who says she usually completes two quilts each year.
Though the process is slow, the fabric cost adds up quickly, says club member Carolyn Coleman. Quilting fabric usually runs $6-9 a yard. If a quilt is going to fit a queen-size bed, about 15-20 yards of fabric will be needed, Coleman says.
Coleman constructed a “Texas Album” quilt that took her three years to complete. The Texas-colored quilt features different state monuments and emblems in each square.
The 20-member club isn’t just for expert quilt makers, Spriggs says. Several members are just learning the trade, and others rarely quilt but have a deep appreciation for the art, Spriggs says.
The Nimble Thimbles take three field trips each summer to different quilt shops, hold an annual Christmas party and participate in the annual Dallas Quilt Celebration in March.
Nimble Thimbles is always looking for new members, but be forewarned: As one member said, “Once you get into this (quilting), it’s a disease.”
For information, call club chairman Betty Baker at 214-328-6645.
