On Thursday, December 6, 2018, the Sylvan Lake Quilters Guild presented Bethany Sylvan Lake with a farewell quilt at their Time to Remember memorial service. The new quilt will be draped over the stretcher as the resident is moved through the care centre and transferred to a funeral home.
The Sylvan Lake Quilters Guild is made up of a group of ten ladies who worked together tirelessly for two days to piece together the patterns. The pieces were sewn together by Joyce Thrush, then quilted by Gloria Armstrong.
The quilt design is very significant and meaningful. There are many symbolic patterns stitched in the quilt, including the circle of life, flying geese, green patches of fields, trees and log cabins with red hearths representing the heart of the home. The lighthouse is a famous landmark in Sylvan Lake. When the quilt is placed over the deceased resident, the word “Farewell” is visible on both sides of the stretcher.
“Sylvan Lake is a very close-knit community and the people really take care of each other. The farewell quilt is a wonderful piece. It is an opportunity to allow the resident to pass away with a high level of dignity and respect, surrounded by loving neighbours and staff who live, breathe and sleep in Creating Caring Communities,” said Deb Andersen, Site Manager, Bethany Sylvan Lake.
The Sylvan Lake Quilters Guild members enjoy making quilts for their community and their generosity extends beyond the farewell quilt. Each new resident who moves into Bethany Sylvan Lake also receives a lap quilt from the Guild.
A big thank you to the Sylvan Lake Quilters Guild for improving the resident and family care experience at Bethany with their beautiful, thoughtful quilts.
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