The Quilts of Love group was started in 2011 by Holly North as a way to combine her new-found interest in quilting and her passion for helping the families experiencing homelessness that are being day sheltered here at First Unitarian Church Portland under the organizations 13 Salmon Family Center and Portland Family Homeless Solutions. Holly asked Reverend Kate Lore if there might be a way of donating quilts that were made by the group to the families as they found permanent housing, to which Kate replied, “That would be like wrapping the families in love.” Over the years, the group has donated more than 300 quilts to the Path Home.

The group of (mostly) women have met twice a month to share their sewing passion and experience fellowship, while working singly and in groups to produce and donate many quilts for Path Home, as well as a few other projects that they have been asked to do, such as helping make the stoles for the choirs, weighted lap pads for givingconnectionpdx, banners for the sanctuary in 2015, a flag for the General Assembly in Portland in 2015, and many items for the Alliance Greens Sale as well as for the church auction.

The title quilt shown here was made in 2015 when some members of the group went to Port Ludlow for a quilting retreat at Stephanie Harlow’s place on the Hood Canal. The blocks which had been made by many were arranged and then finished with fabric purchased locally. Holly North added the lettering.