Threads of Life provide comfort and care

CANCER SURVIVOR and quilt artist Linda George works on a quilt in her studio at her home in Placerville. George has donated several of her hand-crafted works to the Threads of Life Quilt and Fine Art Auction fundraiser for Marshall Medical Center's Cancer Resource Center. Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum

What: Threads of Life Quilt and Fine Art Charity Auction

Who: Threads of Life

Where: Davies Family Inn/Shadowridge Ranch, located at 3700 Fort Jim Road in Placerville

When: Saturday, Aug. 20, 5 to 8 p.m.

Cost: $25

Information: 530-622-1121

A stitch here, and a patch there, and the end result is the third Threads of Life Quilt and Fine Art Charity Auction that will take place Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Davies Family Inn/Shadowridge Ranch, located at 3700 Fort Jim Road in Placerville.

The charity event goes from 5 to 8 p.m.

The gala evening is to raise the community’s awareness of the Cancer Resource Center and to raise money for the valuable program.

Joy Vedder, one of many people who has spearheaded the event that has taken place in 2007 and 2009, noted that local talented quilters and artists donate their work to raise funds for the center. The auction offers beautiful works by quilters and artists in both a silent and live auctions.

A group of dedicated and passionate women who call themselves the “Threads of Life” coordinate the event. Vedder, Judie Stewart and Linda George have been planning this year’s event for months and promise a fun time for a good cause.

The idea behind the charity event came after a friend of the three women passed away from breast cancer eight years ago.

“We were her care takers,” said Stewart. “After she died, we wanted to make sure that everybody in the community got the type of care and services she got.”

Stewart worked as a volunteer for the Cancer Resource Center that opened its doors after the passing of the trio’s friend. Stewart, Vedder and George noticed a lot of quilts were going to Sutter Medical Group in Sacramento, which was holding an annual auction.

“We thought, ‘you know, why can’t we sell quilts up here and do an auction for our Cancer Resource Center,’” Stewart said. “There was a group of us and Linda and I were two of them. We started this quilt fine art auction. Now all of the community is involved.”

George has been quilting for four years.

Although not a quilter, Stewart speaks highly of the quilters.

“Our quilters are fabulous,” said Stewart. “They all donate. A lot of them are groups of quilters. A lot of them do it in honor of someone. There was a group of women (in 2009). One of them was battling breast cancer, and died before they finished the quilt. So they finished the quilt and gave it to us.”

George’s approach toward quilting was similar to the act of sewing.

“I’ve always been a sewer, but I never quilted,” George said. “It’s a learning process.”

One of the quilts she’s made is a gift for two local boys, ages 3 and 6, whose father is battling cancer.

“They are real soft,” George said. “I have transferred a photograph of (their) dad onto fabric. They will be able to hold onto that while he’s away at hospitals.”

Big donation

To date, Threads of Life has donated almost $25,000 to the cancer program at Marshall Medical Center. The Cancer Resource Center and its team of experts provide a regime that treats the whole person and the person’s loved ones, not just the diagnosis, thereby offering the highest quality of cancer care.

Paintings from local painters will also be featured.

Wine tasting from local wineries, hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants and music by Herb Boxhorn and Klaudia Promessi add to the fabric of the event.

Tickets are $25 each and are available at Placerville Flowers, 318 Main St., Combellack’s, 339 Main St. and Marshall Foundation For Community Health, 1124 Sherman St., all in Placerville.

To learn more, visit the group’s Website at threadsoflifeplacerville.com, e-mail threadsoflifeplacerville@gmail.com or call 530-642-9984.

E-mail Mike Bush at mbush@mtdemocrat.net, or call 530-344-5071.

Mike Bush

Mike Bush has been working at the Mountain Democrat since August 2011. Mike is the Sports Writer and Features Writer.

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