“The thing about a craft, a handmade art form, is that when you receive the piece, it has love and prayers woven into its very being. And you can’t buy that at Target.”
At Habitat Wake, we hold a longstanding tradition of gifting quilts or afghans to homebuyers when they close on their homes. These pieces are made by community partners, often members of our faith network, and each one carries a patchwork of care, intention and prayer.
“At many congregations and churches, there are sewing guilds or quilting guilds,” said Rebecca, our Director of Faith Relations and avid quilter herself. “What happens in these congregations is that groups of people get together, and in a way they’re praying....through cutting and sewing and piercing and stitching, their love and prayer are woven into the very piece.”
The commitment behind each quilt is staggering. Rebecca estimates that a quilt sized for a twin bed can take anywhere from 200 to 400 hours of hands-on work to assemble, from constructing the top to creating the back and quilting the layers together.
Homebuyers feel that care immediately. Quilts are presented during home dedication ceremonies, and Rebecca said those moments often carry a bit of magic.
“I can’t believe how many times people have told me, ‘My bedroom is green, and I got the green quilt,’ or ‘My kids want a dog, and the quilt we received has dogs all over it,’” she said. “Somehow God works it out. It is a divine mystery.”
To all our congregations and individuals who have contributed to this beautiful tradition: thank you for sharing your time, talents and love in this way. The next time you join us for a home dedication, keep an eye out for the quilts. You just might spot a little community magic stitched inside.
