Patchwork of compassion

Gaither High School students learn patience as they sew quilts for a good cause.

By EVE LEBERSON, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 16, 2003

[Times photos: Mike Pease] It can take many hands to create a quilt, as Gaither High School students work on their squares.

Now, four broken needles later, their colorful creation nears completion.

Their quilt is a melange of bright green, royal blue, multicolored stripes and Clifford the Dog. There are 63 equal-sized squares of fabric in all, strategically arranged and sewn together on classroom sewing machines. It's been frustrating at times, but the girls are proud of their masterpiece.

"You don't realize you're actually doing work and learning something," said 17-year-old McConnell. "It's a skill you're going to use the rest of your life. But it's been a challenge."

Bravata agrees. "It's definitely taught us patience," said the 17-year-old, who's not a bit shy of the frustrations she's encountered since February when the three classes began working on the project. Yet, she admits, "it's been a lot of fun."

Hardships aside, it's for whom they're making the quilts that keeps the students excited about the assignment.

This week, the quilts will be donated to the Children's Cancer Center, the Alpha House, a Woman's Place and various nursing homes.

"I try with my students to incorporate community service into what they are doing," said class instructor Tana Harper.

This isn't the first time Harper has involved her students in outreach projects. Each year her students finish furniture and Harper enters them in a silent auction, donating a portion of the profits to local charities. She also collects shoes to send to children in Cuba.

"I'm always trying to get them involved with other people," Harper said. "A lot of these kids will find real joy in their lives doing things for other people. We have kids with really big hearts."

Gaither High School Students Nicole Monteleone, 15, left, Nadya Ramos, 15, middle, and Melissa Winning, 15, right, sew a quilt to be donated to the Children's Cancer Center.

Ashley Griffin and Jackie Johnson, both in Harper's third period class, have been assembling a fruit- and floral-themed quilt with three other classmates. Through her church, Griffin has worked with a Woman's Place and says she'll gladly donate her quilt to the organization.

"It's good to donate to people who don't have much of anything," said the 18-year-old. "I know how much they will appreciate what's done for them."

"It's not just about making stuff for yourself," added 18-year-old Johnson. "It's about giving back to people. I think they'll appreciate and enjoy it."

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