11 May 2025 Artist of the Month: Mary Wofford
By Collen Holt
Mary Wofford of Morrilton is rather new to quilting, but her work with a nationwide nonprofit organization is making a huge difference in the fabric of her community and beyond.
In January 2024, Wofford became coordinator for the Central Arkansas chapter of Project Linus, which offers “love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans.”
In 2019, not long before COVID-19 put the world on hold, she decided she would like to learn to quilt, with the intention of creating beautiful works of art for her family members. In-person classes were soon put on hold, but that was not a deterrent to Wofford, who taught herself to quilt using YouTube tutorials.
Since 2020, she has probably turned out close to 200 quilts for family members and for Project Linus, which she learned about through a friend. As the current chapter coordinator, she works about 30 hours per week on Project Linus duties. These include quilting, finding organizations that can give the blankets to children in need, and collecting and delivering the blankets. Small numbers of quilts (such as those from individuals) can be left at a drop-off station at the Sewing Center in Conway. Larger numbers will be picked up by Wofford.
A recent group that received some of the project’s quilts is the Conway Regional NICU Unit. Wofford said administrators at the NICU unit contacted her in November 2024, requesting some “really small” quilts for the premature babies at the medical center. Several quilts were delivered in April, making a total of about 45 since 2024.
The Central Arkansas chapter of Project Linus has also donated to Abundant Life, the Department of Human Services and the Safe Place Inc. in Morrilton; The Call and Rise House in Faulkner County; the Safe Place, and Perryville and Bigelow schools in Perry County; and Joseph House for foster children in Pope County.
Wofford finds fabrics for the Central Arkansas “blanketeers” to use in sewing the quilts. Bright colors with exciting patterns are perfect for quilts for children, she said.
“Our ‘blanketeers’ are the people who make the blankets and quilts. I can provide them fabrics and supplies, and they can sew the quilt tops or do the quilting, or both,” she said. Her biggest goal for 2025 is to find more people to create blankets (they can be fleece or crocheted) and quilts.
The materials all come from individual donations or are purchased using donated funds or grant money. Since 2019, the Central Arkansas chapter has distributed 1,655 blankets and quilts, with 449 donated in 2024 alone. Some recent grants awarded to the chapter include $500 from Walmart in Morrilton and $500 from the Conway County Community Foundation through a Giving Tree grant.
Wofford, a member of a large family with deep Morrilton ties, has been sewing since she was about 12. “I made my own clothes and prom dresses in high school until it became more expensive to make than to buy,” she said. “Now, I make a lot of quilts. I give away a lot, and I make a lot for my family.”
She said she has made “at least one quilt” for each of her three children — Mandy Prince, Diane McKnight and Charlie Wofford — and for all 12 of her grandchildren. She is married to Mike Wofford and is a daughter of Hubert and Louise Dold. She also works with a friend to offer free sewing classes in Morrilton. They can be found on Facebook at M & N quilting and sewing classes.
Wofford credits a lot of her volunteer quilting ministry to her late friend, Sieglinde “Lilli” Grier, a blanketeer for the Central Arkansas chapter. The two women met about the time Wofford started to quilt, and Grier introduced her to Project Linus. They regularly gathered in Morrilton to quilt and strengthen their friendship. Grier, who passed away in March 2025, quilted more than 300 quilts for Project Linus. Thus creating the need for more quilters to fill the void.
“I know there are people out there who like to sew or quilt that would enjoy working with Project Linus and would like to help,” Wofford said. “I would like to be flooded with help.”
For more information about Project Linus, visit projectlinus.org. More information about the Central Arkansas chapter can be found under the “Find Chapters” tab on the national website.
