The MOTHERS GUILD is to be in an episode of The Quilt
Show. See some photos
of the filming .
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The Booster Banquet was a big success. The quilt, "Spirit",
that was made and donated by Jan Fry, went home with Judge Michael
McGill for $1500.00. The McGills are quilt collectors, what
quiltmaker could ask for more?
Click the quilt on the left to enlarge the image. |
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OTHER NEWS:
The Mother's Guild was thrilled to be approached by Beverly
Price, a television producer from Chicago working for Ricky Tims and
Alex Anderson's Quilt Show. Beverly and her cameraman, Aaron visited
Boys Town and filmed interviews and footage of a typical sewing
session of the Mothers Guild. The piece will air probably in October
as part of a feature on the International Quilt Study Center and
other quilt projects in Nebraska. We'll keep the guild advised as to
the exact showing date for the episode.
The Mothers Guild will be meeting all summer in the Great Hall at
Boys Town. We have dates scheduled through December-June 28, July
26, August 16, Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6. We meet from
9-3 and welcome anyone who wants to quilt to benefit the children of
Boys Town.
Projects in 2007 included 2 quilts for recognition of Family
Teaching couples, 2 quilts to recognize school teachers at Wegner
and the Boys Town High School, 5 quilts to recognize graduating
seniors, nearly 190 Christmas stockings for Communities One and
Five, 3 pieces donated for use at fundraising events which raised
over $2000.00. We are well underway to supply the same number of
pieces for 2008 but the need is great and we could always use more
help.
article submitted by Jan Fry |
The Mother's Guild
of Boys Town is one of many small groups
composed of OQG members. This small group
is dedicated to continuing the work started long
ago by women around the county who donated
quilts to Boys Town.
This group is
dedicated to
creating quilts to be used for
purposes of fundraising and for the children and
family teaching couples of Boys Town.
If you are looking for a small group,
they would
love to have you join them. Feel free to call Jan
Fry for more information concerning this group.
mothersguild@omahaquiltersguild.org
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April 2008 Meeting Pictures
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Sept 07-Mothers
Guild Meeting
Oct 07-Mothers Guild Meeting
Nov 07-Mothers
Guild Meeting
Christmas 2007 Open House Pictures |
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History of the Boys Town -
Omaha Quilters' Guild partnership
I'm very excited to announce the
formation of a new small group, The Mother's Guild. We had
such tremendous support from the guild on the museum project
for Boys Town that we just didn't want to stop the
momentum. Fr. Boes was so impressed with our efforts that
he has given us his blessing to continue the work begun
decades ago by women around the country to provide quilts
for the children of Boys Town. This new small
group will be focusing on creating quilts to be used for
purposes of fundraising and for the children and family
teaching couples. Our mission has been left very broad so
that we have room to grow. Some of the ideas that Fr. and I
discussed were quilts for recognizing family teaching
couples at the annual recognition night, quilts for the
various fundraising auctions at our sites around the country
(did you know that there are 19 sites across the US?) and
quilts for the children. We'll discuss the options when we
meet and see what we think that we would like to accomplish
this first year. I hope to meet with Bob Pick and Dr. Daly
before our first sewing date to get their input on how they
would like to see our work be used. In the meantime, dream
and plan. What would you like to see this new group
accomplish? What would you be willing to donate? A
lighthouse quilt or maple leaves for Boys Town of New
England? Texas Roses for Boys Town of San Antonio?
We hear
over and over that the guild offers so many opportunities
for charitable work. The tone is often one of complaint.
But as I said Tuesday, our charitable work is really our
best work. It is what defines us and gives us power. You
have the opportunity to do what you love most-quilt. And
you get to do it for causes that you support and which you
think are important. You give of your time and talents and
you make a difference in the lives of others and you're
doing it all while doing what you love and with friends that
you enjoy. Our families love our work and they appreciate
it but I can almost guarantee you that the work you do for
total strangers is appreciated to an even greater degree.
Whether it is the Christmas stocking that touches a child's
life or a cuddle quilt for a fragile child at Children's
Respite Care Center or a lap quilt for a veteran, please try
to find some time to quilt for others. Your life will be
richer for the experience. I know mine has been. (and if
you need tax reasons to satisfy your spouse, let's talk.) I
invite you to be part of the miracles happening at Father
Flanagan's Boys Town but if that's not your
preferred charity, try one of the other many groups in the
guild that are making a difference one quilt at a time.
Janet Reifler Fry
Donor
Relations Specialist
Boys Town
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See the
Christmas Quilts |
Thank you,
thank you, thank you to all the makers of the red and green
quilts for the Father’s Irish Christmas Celebration display.
The dormitory space didn’t get finished in time so this year the
quilts will be displayed in the other rooms of Father Flanagan’s
house. I know from the last time we did a display of quilts
there (1999-NQA) that it is a lovely setting for quilts and they
do a lot to bring the old house back to life. The buses are
arriving daily and it will get very busy with Canadian travelers
next week. Your work is going to have far reaching impact.
The
celebration opens December 4 and is open most days 10-4. I hope
you will drop by. But by all means, please plan to attend the
special reception open house for the Omaha Quilters' Guild
Saturday, January 6 from 1-4. Stop by Father Flanagan’s house
to see the quilts, visit the Hall of History and then head over
to the Visitor’s Center for hot drinks and special Irish
cookies. There will be student guides on hand to share
Christmas stories from Fr. Flanagan’s time. It promises to be a
special day. RSVP to Tom Lynch at the Hall of History,
498-1186. You may bring as many friends and family members as
you like, just please call in advance to let them know how many
people to expect.
Did you know
that they have nominated Fr. Flanagan for sainthood? Just
possibly, our quilts could be a part of a special shrine. More
importantly, we are reaching a vast audience that we might not
otherwise reach.
Jan Fry
Boys Town
Quilt Project Chairman
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The Omaha Quilters' Guild has been
given the unique opportunity to reach thousands of people each year with the
beauty and magic that are quilts. We try very hard every year to attract
growing numbers of people to our quilt show but we don't come any near the
number of people that will see our work at Boys Town. I hope that you can
see how participating in this very special project to recreate the quilts of
the boys' dormitories at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home can help us promote an
appreciation of quilts and quilting that will enhance our reputation as a
guild.
We are going to replicate the
types of quilts that were made by the
Mothers Guilds in the 20's and 30's. We have been given loads of
wool, probably more than enough. But only about 1/2 of the quilts will
be wool. We still need to reproduce the cotton quilts as well. We are
looking for donations of reproduction fabrics, shirtings and muslins.
Dark, manly colors preferred. Lots of blues and browns. Bring your
stash to sew-in. We'll be purchasing muslin so that we can get the type
that we think might have been closest to they type being used in that
period. If you're not going to be able to come to sew-in, please
consider making arrangements to get us any fabrics that you would like
to donate for the project. We have a goodly amount of prep work to do
in advance of the May 13 sew-in. All that wool should be washed and
felted. If you have time and a washing machine, please call and I'll
get you a supply of wool to felt. We might also want to consider taking
a look at some of the kinds of patterns that might be appropriate for
the time period and doing some preliminary patterns. Anyone interested
in that type of project, let me know. As for the Christmas quilts that
they are wanting, we should probably do hunting around for the right
shades of greens and reds; anyone with expertise in this area, don't
hesitate to volunteer.
Comments from Thomas Lynch,
Manager of the Hall of History at Boys Town "Quilts and quilting have played an
important role in the history of
Boys Town.
 When
Father Edward Flanagan founded his revolutionary home for boys, he depended
upon the support of many people from the Omaha community to survive. In the
early 1920's Father Flanagan's mother Honora established the
Mothers Sewing Guilds. Each week a group of ladies would meet at the
Home, then located on 13th Street, to sew clothing and quilts for the boys.
Eventually Mother Guilds were formed from New York to California. The quilts
the ladies created constituted one of the largest quilt collections in the
Midwest by the 1930's.
Today in the village of Boys Town the 1927 residence of Father Flanagan is
under going a major restoration project. To celebrate the unique history of
the Home several rooms are being renovated to recreate the
1920's boys dormitories. On each one of the nine metal beds quilts will
be placed to replicate the originals. During the Christmas season nine
holiday quilts will be placed on the beds. Each year over 30,000 visitors
from across America and around the world tour the Father Flanagan House,
which is a National Historic Landmark.
During the holiday season the Father Flanagan House celebrates Irish
Christmas in honor of Father Flanagan's birthplace Ballymoe, County Galway,
Ireland. In 2005 over 2,000 visitors from the Midwest region toured the
Flanagan House during the Irish Christmas celebration.
Members of the Omaha Quilt Guild have offered to create the quilts to be
displayed in the Father Flanagan House museum. More volunteers are always
welcome to help with this special project. On May 13th, 9 am to 4 pm, there
will be a special quilting day in the village of Boys Town at the Great
Hall, 13747 Flanagan Blvd. Please join us! For more information please
contact
Jan Fry
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