Stitched with Love: SMPC Handiworkers Honor Nancy Metzler

Nancy Metzler, a longtime SMPC member and recently retired staff member, was given a special gift by the women in the Handiworkers Group (formerly known as the Persian Pickles). On Tuesday, July 22, Carol Morgan presented Nancy with a beautiful, handmade quilt as a token of appreciation for her many years of service to SMPC. The best part? The quilt carries a rich story of creativity, love, and community—just like SMPC!

Many years ago, someone donated a hand-sewn quilt top, made up of countless fabric scraps, to the Persian Pickles. One day, Nancy stopped by to say hello to the group and admired the quilt top. Since the members were all working on their own patterned quilts, they decided to give the donated quilt top to Nancy to enjoy. And enjoy it she did! The quilt top rested on one of Nancy’s office chairs for years, until her retirement at the end of 2024, after serving on staff for nearly 20 years.

“When Nancy announced her retirement, I remembered the quilt top and thought the current Handiworkers Group (which now includes several quilters!) could finish it for her as a thank-you gift for her years of service to SMPC,” said Carol. “Nancy brought the quilt top to me, and the process of finishing the quilt began.”

It was truly a team effort! Mrna Dibble took Carol to a wholesale shop in Monroe, where she purchased the batting; Joyce Highsmith and Carol went to Joann’s to choose a backing for the quilt and other needed supplies.

Since each piece on the quilt top was hand-sewn and not entirely square, the group couldn’t finish it on a sewing machine. Instead, the backing, batting, and quilt top were brought to one of the Handiworkers’ gatherings, where Maria Varela, Mia S. (10 years old), Jill Page, Joyce Highsmith, and Carol pinned the three layers together.

Maria, Jill, Joyce, and Carol later met to hand-tie the quilt, and Carol took it home to complete the hand-tying. A few weeks later, Maria Varela helped cut the binding, and Carol hand-stitched the binding to the front of the quilt. She also stitched through all the layers near the binding to stabilize the quilt.

Carol presented the finished quilt to Nancy this week, catching her during a break from volunteering at Vacation Bible School! We just love this story!!

The Handiworkers Group meets on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Palmer Building, Room 104. While they are on a break for the summer, they’ll reconvene on Tuesday, September 2. All are welcome!