Coffee Creek Quilters

Reactions to the Coffee Creek Quilters program have been overwhelmingly positive and gratifying. Here are a few of the comments we've received from students, instructors, and recipients of CCQ quilts:

Students

A 1^st quilt student said "I just love coming in here, the time goes too fast. I feel normal in here, like I can be a normal person. I wish I could spend more time in class."

After struggling with her 2nd quilt, one student said "It's really hard to have someone tell you you're doing a good job; it's hard to accept that after always being told you just make mistakes and are no good... so thanks for encouraging me."

A student who is making a 3rd quilt for her daughter said "We learn so much. I can even follow a pattern now. Remember when I couldn't even read a pattern?" Then, her eyes filling with tears, she said "I can finally give something to my daughter. I never gave her anything until now."

Another student said "I watch how you women (teachers) relate to each other. You have a bond with each other. I have never experienced that myself and I'm 50 years old. When I get out, that is what I want to do - I want to have healthy relationships with other women."

Two students were talking about how much they liked coming to quilting. One explained it's "because we feel normal in here - it's women doing normal things." Then the other said, "we get to learn how normal women do something - it's not like treatment or prison programs, it's about how normal women do things."

When asked how the class has helped them, a group of students listed these benefits: learned a hobby they could feel good about; finished a project from beginning to end; learned perseverance and patience; found out how to improvise, that there's more than one way to accomplish something; attempted something new and found that it improves self esteem; enjoyed giving back to the community.

Teachers

"My time teaching the women at Coffee Creek is two of the best hours of my week. Being part of the amazing experience that occurs during the process of making the three quilts is so rewarding. The look of pride on a student's face when she finishes that first quilt, the sense of accomplishment experienced when the second quilt is completed and the anticipation of giving the third quilt to a loved one are precious times we get to share with our students."

"I teach at Coffee Creek with the hope that I'm making a difference in some women's lives. It's amazing to see how successful the quilts are, especially for some of the students who may not have had a concept of quilting before coming to the class."

"Working with Coffee Creek Quilters has been a wonderful experience for me. It's touching to work with a student through three quilts, getting to know her and learn about her life experiences. I've also learned so much from the other instructors."

A Quilt Recipient

Dear Coffee Creek Quilters,
I want to very warmly thank you for the most beautiful quilts that you make. My Mother was a patient at Portland's Legacy Emanuel Hospital last month. When we knew that we were losing Mama, the hospital Chaplin brought the beautiful quilt telling us that it was called a "passage quilt." He also told us of the volunteers who make them and donate them to the hospital. We kept our Mother covered with this beautiful quilt the entire time, after the Chaplin brought it in. We proudly displayed it at her funeral service. I read your brochure and I think that the work that you are doing at Coffee Creek with the quilting classes, is amazing and such a good idea. By the look of the quilt that we have, you are turning out some grade "A" quilters. Please keep up the good work. Now something that my sisters and I have to do, is decide how three of us are going to enjoy this beautiful quilt. Oh, of course, we have photos of it, but we would each like to have it in our homes as just one additional way to remember Mom.