Quilts Made For Koreans

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32053, 30 July 1969, Page 2

Quilts Made For Koreans

While most New Zealanders are looking forward to spring C.0.R.5.0. workers, aided by members of the Association of Presbyterian Women, are busy helping hundreds of poverty-stricken South Koreans to prepare for the winter.

The Presbyterian women decided on “quilts for Korea” as their national project for this year, and the finished articles have been coming into C. 0.8.5.0. headquarters "by the hundreds.” The Canterbury-West Coast district office has received 1150 quilts in the last two months. Bales containing 250 have been sent and will arrive in South Korea any day now. “We hope to get them all away by August, to reach Korea before the winter really sets in,” the assistant organiser, Mrs J. Ritchie (shown, right, with some of the quilts), said yesterday. “It’s really quite thrilling. The quilts have been coming in by the hundreds, and often quite small areas are involved. I’ve been amazed how much a small group of women can do.” The quilts show much skill and thought in the making. Bright and cheerful, they are a maze of coloured squares, triangles and diamond shapes. Some are stitched together from pieces of curtains, woollens, dressing gowns, blankets, rugs, bedspreads. Others are made up of knitted peggy squares, and one just ready for packing is a masterpiece of crochet work. Each square is a brilliant splash of colour. The cotton patchwork quilts have warm padding. The Cuiverden area sent quilts padded with raw wool. Originality, and a desire to make the articles attractive, is evident One cover has been formed from strips of

autumn-toned rugs and another plain cover is scattered with gaily coloured geometric shapes for decoration. —'“These will last for years,” said Mrs Bitchie. “We know they are desperately short of bed covers in South Korea and have been using overcoats to keep out the cold.” In South Korea the covers will be distributed by a Protestant group, the Korean Church World Service.

“We have been sending goods to them for some years now and find it a very reliable source. When goods arrive we receive an acknowledgement, quoting bale numbers, from them and often photographs of the articles being distributed,” said Mrs Ritchie. Sorting and packing has kept C.0.R.5.0.’s voluntary workers very busy. About six retired men go to the depot regularly to press the bales and a roster of women sorts and packs throughout the year. Mrs Ritchie, who has been with the organisation for more than 10 years, will soon be seeing some of the places and people with whom she has been corresponding. She and her husband plan a tour through Asia, and Mrs Ritchie has arranged her itinerary so that she will visit as many as possible of the countries C.0.R.5.0. assists.

She will spend a few days in Korea, about two weeks in India, and will also call at the Philippines. “It will be wonderful to see the projects we are assisting,” she said.