A Quilt With A Very Special Meaning
I carefully removed the tissue paper from the package. Each layer I removed revealed more of the incredible quilt that was held inside. Fully draped, it was exquisite. VSL Dignity in Life was the center with carefully stitched beams radiating from it. An awesome piece for the One Child Matters Auction. I determined, along with several others, that this had to hang at the VSL Home Office.
Brainchild of Heritage of Emerson Leadership Team and Director of Nursing, Dan Schock, they envisioned a quilted wall hanging , created by Dan’s Mother, Lois, for the upcoming VSL 40th Anniversary. Here is the story in her words. “So the phone rings and it’s Dan on the other end. He said, ‘Mom, I have a favor to ask of you’. He then continued to tell me of his proposal to create this large banner celebrating VSL’s 40th Anniversary. I love a challenge and jumped at the opportunity to do something for the folks at Heritage. I’ve been to many care centers in my life but none like this one. It’s very easy to see that ‘Quality’ is not just a tag word – it’s the baseline of all that is Vetter.
“Dan sent me the file showing the anniversary seal and we were on our way. I made a rough draft of the seal and ribbons and brought it to the team at Emerson for their input on further design and size. Dan suggested adding the Vision and Values sections and we were off and running. It was fun shopping for fabric, trying to find the richest fabrics and perfect colors. As in all quilting projects, the patterns were sized and cut from freezer paper, transferred to the satin and appliquéd to the background. Then the real fun began – adding the ba-ba-bling. After much trial and re-trial, the banner was sewn, decorated and ready to be quilted. I chose to quilt the yellow sun rays around the seal because I wanted to draw the eyes to the center of the banner and focus attention on the VSL logo.
“In all, I estimate that I spent 50+ hours working on this project. (There’s always the usual sewing and unsewing process involved before completion.) 🙂 I must say that in all my years of quilting and in making 100+ quilts, large and small and never two alike, I’ve never felt as pleased with a finished project as I am with this one. It was an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to the VSL anniversary celebration.”
“I will also add that this is the 3rd wall hanging or quilt that Mom has made for our facility to be auctioned or raffled off,” said Dan. “She is able to stop in from time to time and show off some of the things that she makes. The residents love to see what she creates. Recently she started making memory bears that were a big hit for our residents. I know that she wanted to have more time on the VSL quilt but we asked her to do it only about two weeks prior to when it needed to be done. She spent many nights after getting off of work to complete it. Just when she thought it was done, I suggested a few more things that helped set the VSL logo off. The gold sequins towards the middle had to be sewn on at the last minute after she and I agreed that it needed more.”
The quilt was a in two-way bidding war just moments before the silent auction was about to end. Unknown to both bidders, they were bidding to purchase it as a gift to Jack and Eldora. It was presented to them during the annual VSL Christmas party at Shadow Ridge on December 17, compliments of David Bueno, LQI Consulting. David consults with Jack for Water for the World. www.water4world.net.
Dan, thank you for your vision of a quilted wall hanging to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. The collaboration of your vision and your Mother’s incredible quilting skills created a once-in-a-life-time statement piece that is proudly on display for everyone to admire and enjoy as they come in and out of the VSL Office. It is now part of our many and various cherished VSL heirlooms.
Co-written by Dan Schock, DON, Heritage of Emerson; Lois Schock, Dan’s Mother and Quilter; and Julie Knobbe, Administrative Assistant, Vetter Senior Living.
