In early October I spent time with eight women from our Sacramento Crew. I joined their quarterly luncheon, where they visit, eat, show the tops they’ve made for Bienvenidos Quilts, and exchange fabrics with one another.

What lovely women they are! They had 32 tops for me to be backed and labeled by First Crew in Portland. The Sacramento Crew doesn’t sew as a group, so each of them must be self-motivated to complete her own projects. Some have been sewing for a long time and some have just recently taken up quilting because they wanted to be part of the Bienvenidos Quilts outreach. A few of them swim together weekly, many of them volunteer with other organizations and two of them live across the street from each other and were the initial folks to connect with Bienvenidos Quilts. All of them shared stories about their interest in sewing, quilting and immigrant support. I was inspired.

I delivered 30 pounds of fabric from the First Crew stash. It was received with enthusiasm. The women appreciated the larger fabric pieces and saw great possibility for being creative. It will be interesting to see their results in their next shipment!

While each of us knows that we a part of the larger whole that is Bienvenidos Quilts, it was a real gift to meet and share with women I had never met and to experience the bond that connects us all. Thank you, Sacramento crew – especially Ellen, who hosted our luncheon, and Pam, who is their crew contact person and organizer – for including me and my sisters in your gathering. If any of you make travel plans that include Portland, please be in touch. ~ Karen Hurst, First Crew, Portland, Oregon