Palatine woman, fellow quilters put hobby to good use
It's all good when you can parlay a hobby or interest into a gift that helps others. Dotty VanDerripe of Palatine has done just that.
"As a group of quilters it's nice to give something back," VanDerripe said. "It's nice to have a love of a hobby and give something back at the same time."
When VanDerripe moved to Illinois three years ago from Florida, she started quilting with a group at Prints Charming in Palatine. The group, with members from several areas including Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, is known as the Chatty Quilters.
"We're called that because we do more chatting than quilting sometimes," said VanDerripe, who eventually got the group to meet at her house.
During one of the Chatty Quilters' field trips to the Calico Canvas and Colors quilting shop in Racine, Wis., the group heard about Charitable Quilters, a group that creates quilts for charitable causes. VanDerripe, along with the other women, were quick to get on the bandwagon.
"We started making quilts for foster children. Because they move around a lot we wanted them to have something of their own to take with them," VanDerripe said.
Members from Chatty Quilters travel to Racine once a month and help with the project, or materials are brought back for them to work on in Palatine. Their creations are then distributed to foster care, health departments, women resource centers and hospice agencies.
"The group is very enthusiastic and energetic and they are very giving of their time and resources," said Jane Wnuk, co-owner of Calico Canvas and Colors. "The foster care kids delight in having their quilts because they can keep them and have pride of ownership.
"Those who use the quilts in hospice situations are warmed by them. When one of them passes away, some want to be buried with the quilt, while for others, the families are thrilled to have the quilt as a reminder."
Wanting to also do something more locally, VanDerripe says the group is involved with the Society for the Preservation of Human Dignity, PHD counseling center for pregnancy, health and education. In the two years they've been involved with the organization, Chatty Quilters have donated more than 300 quilts.
"We send piles over of crib-sized quilts," she said. "We use mostly juvenile prints with a very basic pattern. Someone will do the pattern; someone else will do the layering and binding. It's kind of like a production line."
According to Yvonne Gardner, PHD volunteer coordinator, to receive the quilts, which are part of a layette bag of supplies, clients must complete two incentives. They include prenatal care, counseling, support groups and education.
"This way we are teaching the fishers to fish instead of just handing out the fish," she said.
Gardner said it's "awesome" when parents return with their babies wrapped up in the donated quilts knowing they received them through the program. Clients' reactions to the quilts are always ones of pleasant surprise.
"They know they would have never received one if they didn't have a grandma or aunt who would do it," Gardner said. "So all of a sudden they have a quilt and they are happy because of the love that went into it."
VanDerripe was a registered nurse for 39 years before retiring to take care of her sick father. While living in Florida, she helped at the First United Methodist Church of Stuart's soup kitchen and worked their craft fair. Currently, she sings for the Cornerstone Bible Church Choir in Prospect Heights. Singing in choirs is something she has volunteered to do most of her adult life.
VanDerripe lives with her daughter, Linda O'Connell, and her family. She enjoys taking care of Linda's three children and has quilted a version of the American flag, which hangs at the Palatine Township office where her son-in-law Kevin O'Connell is township clerk.
"When you wrap someone up in a quilt," VanDerripe said, "you wrap them up in love. It's good for those in need to know someone cares about them and did this for them."