Quilters' trip to knot their friendship with French Sister City

When a 14-person delegation from Mount Prospect visits Sevres, France, next month, they will be carrying with them almost as many quilts as suitcases.

If this seems like a strange thing to take on a European trip, you don't know about the unique relationship between Mount Prospect's "Sew Bee It" quilters and Sevres' "Patchworkers."

When Mount Prospect and Sevres became Sister Cities, the quilting groups in the two municipalities quickly developed a relationship. Several years ago the two groups exchanged quilts and the quilt made for Mount Prospect by the quilters in Sevres now hangs in the reference department of the library, while the one made by our quilters hangs in a public building in Sevres.

This time the exchange between the groups is different. According to Rachel Toeppen, leader of the Mount Prospect group, the exchange came about when the Sevres quilters proposed that each group make small quilted wall hangings, 20 inches by 20 inches in size, with a theme of forests and trees for an exhibit in Sevres.

So now, after months of work, the time has come to send the Mount Prospect quilts to Sevres for the exhibit. And, fittingly, a delegation from Mount Prospect which includes Mayor Irvana Wilks and her husband, Al; former Mayor Skip Farley and his wife, Janice; Toeppen and her husband, Dave; and eight others is traveling to Sevres for a visit revolving around the exhibit. They will leave the Chicago area on Sept. 30 and most will return on Oct. 8.

In addition to the seven tree quilts sent for the exhibit, the "Sew Bee It" group is sending quilted placemats, table runners and other quilts unrelated to trees for the exhibition. In addition, members of the group made another quilt from French toile fabric that the Sevres group sent them. That, too, is going back for the exhibit.

The quilters who made tree quilts and other items for the exhibit are Mildred Borg, Laura Luteri, Donne Ronge, Fran Rogus, Rachel Toeppen, Alice Tucker, Barbara Borneman, Dolores Augustyn, Marlene Black and Ulla Schierhorn.

This is certainly a unique international exchange.

Hometown boy remembers:ŒWhen the Mount Prospect Historical Society decided to solicit autographs of well-known celebrities, authors and sports figures for an auction to benefit the Central School relocation effort, someone suggested they write to Terry Moran of ABC News.

The former White House correspondent and current host of "Nightline" grew up in Mount Prospect and attended St. Raymond School, so it seemed like a natural thing to do.

As it turns out, Moran has not let success cloud his memory of his roots. When the society held its "We Survived the Storm/Back to School Party for Parents" at Bogie's on Sept. 7, the massive silent auction of celebrity autographs included a fun note from Moran, along with his autograph.

"I love Mount Prospect," he penned. "I-Oka Avenue; St. Raymond's; Sammy Skobel's hot dogs; Lion's Park -- Home Sweet Home!"

Of course, the note sold and has since been framed and donated to Moran's alma mater, St. Raymond School.