Quilting from the heart

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Staff report

DARKE COUNTY — Personal experience inspires gift to EverHeart Hospice.

Not many people can say they have a “quilt factory” in their home. But if you ask Pat Meikle, she will tell you this is exactly what she has converted the upstairs of her home into, allowing her more space when creating her works of art. Meikle, a Celina resident and former director of the Mercer County Council on Aging for nearly 20 years, recently shared what inspired her passion for quilting and led her to donate one of her beautiful quilts, not once but twice, to raise funds for local hospice care.

Sewing was something Meikle learned at a young age. Because of her height, sewing came in handy to tailor patterns to fit just right. As time went on, Meikle later learned how to quilt, and she enjoyed sharing them with family. After each of her loved ones had received a quilt, Pat knew she wanted to find other ways to use her passion to help give back.

“When you are young and raising a family, your top priority is wanting to be proud of your children, but as you grow older, your thinking shifts. You hope that your children will be proud of you,” Meikle said.

Over the years, she has donated over 400 quilt tops to various charities. Most of her quilts are donated to local Lutheran churches for Lutheran World Relief. Local church members complete the quilts and prepare them to ship overseas for those in need.

Meikle’s pieces are even more unique and one-of-a-kind because she uses recycled material scraps and fabric remnants that local community members donate to her cause. She shared that in addition to fabric donations, she has friends who also help contribute their time and skills to assemble some of her larger pieces. One of her quilt friends, Janet Rush, a longtime quilter of over 27 years, assisted Meikle in completing her more recent quilt.

EverHeart Hospice will be featuring Pat and Rush’s beautiful quilt in a raffle to help raise funds for their General Patient Care. These contributions help offset costs of supplies and programs provided to their hospice patients at no charge, such as nutritional supplements, incontinence supplies, music therapy, and bereavement services. The winner will be announced Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, on EverHeart Hospice’s Facebook page as well as notified by phone.

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased through their website www.everhearthospice.org. If you have any questions, please contact Erica Wood, Business Development Specialist, at 800-417-7535 option 6 or [email protected].

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