Quilts auction to benefit local groups

After watching the effects of Hurricane Katrina, one anxiety stricken woman started putting together quilts scraps, which have become beautiful works of art to be sold at a silent auction Saturday.

Martha Cook, a Houma resident, calls her series of quilts “Random Scraps of Kindness.” She said the designs were conceived during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrin on the premise that “If I make them, they will help.”

The quilt show and silent auction will be held on Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the E.D. White Historic site, which is located at 2295 La. 1 in Thibodaux.

“Working on these quilts certainly has helped me. Hopefully they will raise money to help others. If not, they will at least keep deserving people warm,” the quilter said.

Completing nearly 100 quilts, she said the “Random Scraps” concept comes from using a large variety of leftovers from previous projects as well as random pieces taken from each new piece of fabric she purchase.

Cook has been quilting for more than 20 years. She said some of her designs are based on traditional quilt blocks and methods and some are unique to the types of fabric scraps incorporated.

Born in Iowa and raised in Missouri, Cook said she will not be the only quilter at the show, those helping with the show are her friends and fellow quilters, loosely organized as “The Featherweight Brigade.”

“I have invited them to bring their old-fashioned, Featherweight sewing machines to demonstrate how these various designs are put together. I have also invited them to bring at least one original scrap quilt each to display, if they wish,” she said.

“We will have a quilt frame set up so that visitors can try their hand at hand quilting,” she continued.

Cook has retired from a series of careers including teaching, advertising, and tourism. Now, she teaches quilting classes at Hancock Fabrics in Houma. She is a member of Cane Cutters Quilters and Gulf States Quilting Association.

The quilts will be sold at a silent auction during the show. She has placed a minimum acceptable bid on each quilt. She said 85 percent of the profits will go to Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity and the other 15 percent to the Friends of E. D. White Historic Site.

Any quilts that are not sold will eventually become gifts for new Habitat homeowners, she said.

For more information contact the Lynette Grazier at 985-447-6999.

Quilts auction to benefit local groups