Hundreds of Manitobans have registered with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to host Ukrainian families displaced from their homeland due to the ongoing Russian invasion.
Upon their eventual arrival to Canada, these east European refugees will be greeted warmly with handmade quilts sewn by a group of compassionate women in Carman.
Maureen Carr began sewing as teenager and took up quilting shortly before retiring.
She says quilting is not difficult, noting it is just a matter of following guidelines and learning to do it properly. Gathering quilters for the project was not difficult either.
“I just got gals together. I put a message out on Facebook and said, ‘Calling all quilters, I'm going to get the [Legion] hall for March 15th. You can come and we'll start making quilts for the Ukrainian refugees.”
Donations of fabric have come from all around Carman and Winnipeg, including a box full of material from Kingston, Ontario. Cash donations from the Carman area have allowed the group to purchase the most expensive part of a quilt – the batting.
Carr explains how the project came together.
“I was listening to the news on the 6th which was Sunday. I thought, there's got to be something myself and people like me could do. We have a love for quilting and that. Why couldn't we make quilts for the ones that arrive in Canada? It's something that they could call their own, letting them know that we do care about them. Then on the backs of all the quilts I came up with the thought: let's put 'Welcome to Canada. We care'.”
One quilt displays a sunflower, Ukraine’s national flower, however Carr says the quilts do not incorporate specific themes. In just three weeks, the group has created at least 100 quilts.
Carr welcomes more volunteers to come to the Legion Auxiliary Hall in Carman on Mondays and Tuesdays, where the quilters are assembling as long as the hall remains available.
“If you can’t sew, that’s fine. There’s ironing, tying and just running about helping people. It’s just a joy to do it and a joy to see everyone coming together. We’re all so happy when you come in there!”