31 Jan 2023 Conway County Piecemakers sew quilts for veterans
By Morgan Zimmerman
Cathy Pruitt has been bringing joy to veterans for almost a decade through her talent for sewing. After getting started with a national quilt-gifting program, Cathy and her fellow quiltmakers realized they could make an even bigger impact if they could focus their attention on a local level. They formed the Conway County Piecemakers, a nonprofit organization, and started making and delivering handmade quilts to veterans in Central Arkansas. Since 2014, the Piecemakers have gifted more than 750 quilts.
Cathy and her husband, an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War, owned and operated a car lot in Morrilton for many years. When they decided it was time to close, her husband asked, “What are we going to do with this spot?” She responded, “Only thing I know to do is sew.” A week later, she discovered him tearing down walls to make the space into a fabric showroom and sewing shop for her. Catherine’s Discount Fabrics and More opened in 2011. In 2014, they sold the lot in town and moved the shop to a building near their home in Morrilton, where it is still located today.
Cathy credits her interest in quilting to the many friends she made through her fabric shop from hobby sewers to professional quilters who finish the quilts after the tops are made. “I have learned so much from all the ladies,” she said. Starting the Piecemakers just felt like a natural fit. There are about 12 members in the group, and about half of them sew the quilt tops. The rest of the members take care of the administrative tasks and planning that go into the program. “Everyone has a job,” Cathy said.
The group shows their love for veterans in more ways than quilt making. They worked with former State Rep. David Sanders to get the funding for a monument for veterans in front of the Morrilton hospital. They have hosted numerous barbecue dinners, cookouts, fundraisers and special events to honor veterans and to present the quilts. Each year, they hold two public presentations, one on July Fourth and the other on Veterans Day. The July Fourth program includes a meal, entertainment and a guest speaker. The Veterans Day program takes place at the local high school and the faculty and students go above and beyond to make the day special. “They include the choir and the band and have reserved seating in the front row for the veterans and their families. It’s really special,” Cathy said.
Every veteran is special to the club, and many have left their mark on the members. Cathy remembers meeting “a very tall man” at one of their fundraisers. She encouraged him to fill out a card to receive a quilt. He reluctantly agreed and was genuinely surprised when she contacted him a few months later to invite him to the presentation. “When I presented him with his quilt, he turned to the crowd and held it up over his head with tears flowing down his cheeks and said, ‘I finally got thanked,’” said Cathy. The audience gave him a standing ovation.
Club members have shipped quilts across the country, delivered them to the homes of confined veterans and even continued their mission with a drive-by quilt pickup at Cathy’s shop during the pandemic. They had the honor of making a quilt for the oldest veteran in the United States in 2017. The man from Austin, Texas, was 103 at the time and told Cathy that the secret to a long life was that “he cut down on his whiskey and only smoked 12 cigars a day now.” A veteran from Hot Springs was the oldest in Arkansas to receive a quilt at 101 years old.
This year, the club is on track to deliver 50 more quilts. Each quilt comes with a special label sewn into it with the veteran’s name, branch of service, years served and any tours overseas noted. Any former service member with an honorable discharge is eligible to receive a quilt. For more information on how to volunteer or to nominate a veteran, contact Cathy at 501.306.8034.
