Bremerton grandmother’s quilts to be sent to those in need

Published 8:37 pm Thursday, February 4, 2016

By Renee Williams-Torres

For the Patriot

BREMERTON – A sewing machine, scraps of fabric and well-made, tasteful quilts – both finished and unfinished – are a few of the items inside 94-year-old Emmie Dillon’s tidy, tiny West Bremerton apartment.

Dillon is a “quilting genius,” according to her son-in-law, Paul Ofsthun.

Dillon has made about 30 quilts in the past two weeks. They will be given to Peace Lutheran Church, which is located on Riddell Road in Bremerton. Then they will be shipped to the Baltimore, Maryland-based Lutheran World Relief before being sent to needy people and families who will use them for warmth, decoration, or just for enjoyment by anyone who would like something made especially for them.

According to LWR, it’s likely that the quilts Dillon makes will be sent to Syrian refugees, as that’s where much LWR’s supply is currently headed.

Dillon has been quilting since she was a child. She remembers when her mother had to buy flour for the family.

“I’ve been sewing quilts since I was 8 or 9 years old … my mother would buy material to make us [underwear] … in the Depression days, and the scraps … we’d make quilts out of them,” she said.

Dillon said she loves God, but to meet the requirements for LWR’s quilting program, she has to avoid using religious symbols or flags on her creations.

“It’s not allowed,” she said.

She keeps a record of the 300 or so quilts she’s made over the years in a a large photo album. One of her favorite quilts is a stained glass-themed quilt with a Christmas feel to it.

Although she walks with a walker, she keeps busy and stays vibrant. Her mind is as sharp as the point of a needle.

Dillon welcomes donations of scraps for her quilts. She may be reached via her son-in-law, Paul Ofsthun, at 360-710-8672.

For more information about Lutheran World Relief, visit www.lwr.org.