CTV News Edmonton has reported:

An Edmonton quilting club with more than 50 years of history is seeking new members to help make quilts and other textiles for local charities. The group meets every Tuesday at St. Andrews United Church and is known to some as the quilting queens of St. Andrews.

Club president Maile Bower said the group began at St. James Church, where women sewed warm clothing for people working on the warning line in the Arctic. Today, its 18 members range in age from their mid-50s to 101 and work on items including quilts and baby blankets.

“You don’t need a lot of experience as long as you can sew a little bit or even baste the quilts together,” Bower said. She added that the club has “a lot of talent” at its tables for newcomers to learn from, and said, “We can always use the extra set of hands.”

The club’s work supports local charities through direct donations and an annual quilt sale. This year’s sale will take place at St. Andrews United Church on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Proceeds will go to charities including Pilgrims Hospice, which provides end of life care for people with a terminal illness, and the Jessica Martel Memorial Foundation, which supports domestic abuse survivors.

“I think we all have a really good time working together as a team. Everybody has their talents, and we’re grateful for that. And it’s doing something for others that makes the difference,” Bower said.

St. Andrews United Church accepts cloth donations throughout the year for the club to use. Donors can arrange a drop-off by calling the church’s main office.