Quilters unite to create project displayed at West Overton show
SCOTTDALE – Mary Odenthal, by her own admission, now lives and breathes quilting. Sewing had always been a big part of her life. “When we were raising the children, I always sewed all their clothes,” she said. “But even then I said, ‘Sometime before I die, I’m going to start quilting.'”
She began quilting 10 years ago.
She even got her mother, Margaret Loretta of Clairton involved.
“Now she is no longer able to do it, but she still enjoys listening to what I am doing and looking at my work,” Odenthal said.
“My Favorite Winged Things” which is currently displayed at the West Overton Museums quilt show, is a collaborative effort.
“I am so proud of it,” said Odenthal.
The five ladies involved: Odenthal of North Huntingdon; Susan Gibbs of Delmont; M.J. Nothen of Manor; Vivian Putt of Greensburg; and Kerry Stemen of Irwin, are all members of the Irwin Quilt Guild.
“This quilt was M.J.’s idea,” Odenthal said. “It is so awesome.”
She said she couldn’t even guess how many hours were spent in its making.
“But it took us about one year,” she said. “Each one of us would do a row and then pass it on to the next person.”
The quilt’s title left a lot for the women’s imaginations.
“You should see it,” Odenthal said emphatically. “There are butterflies, humming birds, grasshoppers and even fairies on it.”
The main colors?
“Oh, gosh, it’s on a white background, but there is every color of the rainbow on it. And it is the bright blue binding that really makes it pop.”
Odenthal admits that “the girls” all enjoy the idea of displaying it at West Overton.
“We are so proud of each other, and of our work,” she said. “I’m really tickled with all of this.”
Odenthal admits she has a special place in her home for “All My Favorite Winged Things.”
Time, however, does not stand still.
“We’ve already started another quilt. This one will be for charity,” Odenthal said. “We like donating our quilts. We’ve donated to the VFW. And we like donating quilts to (the) Linus (Project)” to give warmth and comfort to children with cancer.
“Quilting is just so much fun. It is something I have always wanted to do,” she said.
For more information about the Linus Project, a nationwide 100 percent volunteer non-profit with headquarters in Bloomington, Ill., call 309-664-7814 or visit the Web site at www.projectlinus.org. For more information about the Irwin Quilt Guild, call Susan Gibbs at 724-468-0445.