For uncounted generations, the women of Trinity Episcopal church have gathered each Tuesday to sew quilts for those in need and, as holidays near, to make old-fashioned mincemeat, with lots of real meat, apples and spices — and to share that special sisterhood that comes with"doing for others."
Calling themselves the Trinity SWAT team — Sewing Women at Trinity (and sometimes Sewers With Attitude) — the dozen to 15 women sew more than 100 quilts a year, about a third of which they giveto at-risk teens at the Lithia Springs GirlsHome and Boys Home in Ashland, says quilter Chris Amorelli, with the rest (and the mincemeat and other baked goods) being sold to support their year-round work.
The annual Trinity "Quilt 'n Mincemeat Bazaar" is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 18, at the church, 44 N. Second St., Ashland and will feature other sewn and baked goods, as well as a quilt raffle.
Trinity's is one of a holiday wave of bazaars put on in November and December to raise funds for church, service club and senior center charitable activities, with many also staged by crafters' organizations.
Coming from the 16th century Persian word meaning a shopping quarter full of fascinating and varied wares, the bazaar phenomenon persists as a way not just to make money, but to provide a social context for mostly elderly women to find community, as they serve the larger community, says Trinity quilter Natalie Barker.
Advertisement | |
"We sometimes call it the therapy group," says Amorelli, "We're elderly, some are widowed and we get support — everyone knows what you're going through and it helps to do good works."
The quilts, made for beauty and comfort, but not hand-sewn, have become a tradition in many people's lives "and the kids love them," says Barker. "They get to keep them and they are really thrilled to have something that people made just for them."
With high volume and an affordable maximum price of $50, the Trinity ladies, working in the church parish hall, focus on making quilts quickly, with machines, and in a colorful checkerboard pattern, says Amorelli. They also make flannel baby quilts.
Material for quilts is new, most of it donated — and each woman has a job to do, cutting, layout, sewing squares together, tacking the batting to the backing and then sewing it to the quilt, she adds.
Like the quilts, the mincemeat has become a valued tradition among bazaar fans, as it comes down from "Grandma Hedberg's recipe," (she was a Trinity quilter many decades ago) and it includes lots of cooked, ground beef (not venison or mutton as in the old days), apples, raisins, currants, vinegar, molasses, lemon juice and spices — nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, citron and clove.
It's alcohol-free, but you can mix in your own rum or brandy, then pour it into a pie shell and bake. The concoction has been tested and does not spoil, says Barker, noting it was invented ages ago as a way to preserve meat. For those who don't fancy mincemeat pie filling, they can find mincemeat fruit cake at the bazaar.
Since they meet every Tuesday, the Trinity women will be found every election day, making holiday mincemeat as the nation makes its choice of future leaders — often a day of lively conversation, in which the women find themselves mostly in agreement, says Barker.
The women of First United Methodist Church in Ashland follow a similar tradition, making lots of jams, jellies, pickles and cheeseballs — and creating holiday floral decorations and gift items for their annual bazaar to raise money for mission work, says organizer Toby Deller.
"It's a lot of fun and a lot of work, as well as a time of fellowship, enjoying each other and getting to know people in a way that's not a religious service," says Deller, who's been doing it for more than 50 years.
The event is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri., Nov. 10, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, at 175 N. Main St., Ashland, and will also offer "Grandma's attic" — finer items such as silverware, figurines, glassware and linens.
Phoebe McManama of is organizing the Medford Friends Church's annual bazaar, which offers many gift items and baked goods, with proceeds going to the faith's missionary work in such far-flung places as Africa, Russia and Bolivia, she says.
"I make baby quilts, crochet decorations on kitchen towels and we all make plenty of baked goods. It's quite enjoyable," McManama says. It's 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sat., Nov. 18, at the church, 525 DeBarr Ave., Medford.
The women of the Butte Falls Lady Lioness club are busy making homemade treats and craft items, such as afghans and embroidered pillow cases — and will hold a raffle, all to benefit its charitable work in helping deaf and blind people, says organizer Ellen Moore. Space will be offered to other crafters, too.
"We have a good time, it's real fun socializing but, of course, the main reason is to do good for people in need," says Moore.
Among the dozens of upcoming bazaars is one with a new twist — a group of shops in Ashland's Underground Marketplace, East Main at Third, will open up their inside courtyard to booths for local crafters offering the more "alternative, funkier, useful crafts," says Aura Johnson of Small Craft Advisory, one of the mini-mall shops.
It will be noon to 6 p.m. on Nov. 11 and Dec. 9, and will continue on second Saturdays after that, as a way for "younger, hipper" local crafters, such as college students, to get wares out in a non-gallery, non-tourist atmosphere, says Johnson. It will include clothing, jewelry, handbags, hats and small art works, in a setting with a disc jockey and poetry readings.
John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at jdarling@jeffnet.org.
