812-Lancast«r Farming, Saturday, July 8, 2000 Quilting Is Her Thing BARB MILLER Elk Co. RIDGWAY (Elk Co.) Nurs ing and quilting may seem like an unusual combination. But for Judy Morris of Ridgway, it’s been a perfect combination. It is said that everyone should have a relaxing hobby that’s completely different from their job. That's certainly true for Judy, a midwife with 18 years experience, and a former Army nurse for 21 years. Although Judy’s mother and grandmother both quilted, Judy didn’t really get started in quilt ing until after she married. Since then, her love for quilting has grown dramatically she makes almost 20 quilts a year and esti mates that she’s made more than 600 quilts. Judy especially enjoys design ing the quilts, such as one she made with a cat chasing a mouse. Sometimes she sends her pieced quilt tops away to be quilted. Judy used to just work on one quilt at a time, but today, she has several quilts going at once. In 1972, she made a quilt in one day after taking a “Quilt in a Day” class. “Quilting is a lot faster today,” said Judy, especially if you quilt by machine or make a “strip quilt,” where you sew to gether by machine a whole row of quilt blocks, building row upon row. Today quilting has gone high tech with computer software. Many old and new patterns can be printed and the design possi bilities are unlimited on a com puter. Recently Judy got a com puter with a quilt program that she can’t wait to use. It has more than 5,000 quilt designs. If she types in “Sun Bonnet Sue,” she gets it in both an antique or mod ern design. Type size block de sired into the computer and it will print out a template. She can also figure out the colors and de signs and see what they look like before going to the store to buy the fabric. Furthermore, when she types in the size quilt desired, the computer shows how much fabric to buy. She also can print directions to assemble the quilt. Judy is so excited that Ridg way now has its very own quilt shop, Jo Rae’s Quilt Shop, locat ed next to the Post Office. She not only sells fabrics but also gives lessons. Like all quilters, Judy has her own stash of fab rics, so she’ll never run out of quilt projects. Even though she’s a busy mother and works outside the home, Judy didn’t wait until she retired to get started quilting. According to Judy, “You make time for what’s important!” Judy has developed a host of friends through quilting as she Paws Farm Dedicates Butterfly Garden In Memory Of Brenda Ripoli PHILADELPHIA (Philadel phia Co.) Family, friends and coworkers gathered at the Paws Farm Nature Center in Mount Laurel, N.J., on June 23 to dedi cate the new Butterfly Garden in memory of Brenda Berman Rip oli. An interactive display, the Butterfly Garden was funded in part by the American Dairy Association/Dairy Council Mid dle Atlantic, where Ms. Ripoli had been employed for 12 years before her death in April 1999. Quilting is part of Judy Morris’ therapy in her fight against cancer. Her projects are on display with Elk County Cancer and Tobacco Education’s Pink Ribbon Millennium Quilt Project. belongs to quilting groups in St. Marys, Warren, and Dußois. The New City Quilters of St. Mary’s do a “block of the month,” where each member brings in a block of fabric for a quilt. When it was Judy’s turn, she asked everyone to do an angel and to personalize it. So she has angels that cook, garden, sew, etcetera. Judy also enjoys the group’s doing “row quilts,” where a theme is selected and people do a row of blocks related to the theme such as one on holi days, which she’s working on now. There are blocks for Lin coln, Washington, and even a ground hog for Ground Hog’s Day. In the end, each person will get a wall hanging, made up of strips of quilt blocks from others in the group. Once a year, Judy gets togeth er with several of her friends for a “Quilting Weekend.” She says, “It’s amazing how much you can get done when you can quilt without interruptions.” Judy’s love for quiltifig has be come contagious. Everyone in her family can quilt except for her husband, a pharmacist, and her pet dog. Even her son Peter can quilt! (He’s also a self-taught juggler, who enjoys performing for children’s parties and school groups.) When Judy’s quilt group, “The New City Quilters,” decid ed last fall to participate in the Elk County Cancer and Tobacco Education’s “Pink Ribbon Mill ennium Quilt Project,” Judy de cided to participate. She is a Ms. Ripoli served as director of nutrition education and mar keting for ADA/DC Middle At lantic. She was responsible for programs aimed at educators, school food service personnel and health professionals. She also was instrumental in the design and coordination of several exhi bits currently housed at Paws Farm. “Brenda was a leader in the field of nutrition education and was a tremendous asset to our organization,” said Bret Rigby, nine-year breast cancer survivor and was so relieved that was be hind her. Little did she know that by the time her project was due in early May, she’s be going through an even more serious bout with breast cancer. She said the support her fami ly and friends have given her during this challenging time in her life, has been such a blessing. At the same time, Judy hopes she can be a help and encouragement to others going through the throes of breast cancer. It’s never easy, but sharing the load with somebody else certain ly helps ease the burden. Her other suggestion is “Remember to take one day at a time. Each day gets a little bit better.” For Judy, part of her recuper ation will be quilting! After all, she wants to try out her new quilting program on her comput er. Judy’s project and more than 50 other Pink Ribbon Millenni um Quilt Projects that will be on display June 22-July 7 at the Elk County Council of the Arts, on North Broad Street in Ridgway, in conjunction with Ridgway’s Independence Festival. Later, the projects will be displayed in July at the Holy Rosary Festival in Johnsonburg and at the Black Cherry Festival in Kane, as well as in September at the Home Town Festival in St. Marys, and at the Quilt Show in Emporium in November. Questions? Call the Pink Rib bon project director, Teddy Arm strong at (717) 965-2984. CEO of ADA/DC Middle Atlan tic. “We are pleased to dedicate this garden in her memory. It is a fitting tribute to the spirit and dedication she brought to our or ganization and to those with whom she worked.” The Butterfly Garden en hances the many innovative ex hibits at Paws Farm, a nonprofit nature center located on a dairy farm. The garden features a dec orative fountain and children's play equipment, and a children’s bridge created by Eagle Scout Gary Place, Maple Shade, N.J. SEE YOUR NEAREST & mmurn DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE EQUIPMENT & SERVICE PENNSYLVANIA Messick Equipment RD 1, Box 255 A 717-259-6617 Annyille. PA BHM Farm Equipment, Inc, RD 1, Rte. 934 717-867-2211 Carlisle. PA R&W Pitman. PA Equipment Co. Schreffler 35 East Willow Street Equipment 717-243-2686 M® ssick t Tamaaua.EA STL* Ex,, gg?* 717-367-1319 f"''?* lno - 570*386*5945 QreenCMtle. FA Meyers Implements, Inc. 400 North Antrim Way 717-597-2176 Halifax. PA Sweigard Bros. R.D.3, Box 13 717-896-3414 MARYLAND FredorloK. MP Ceresville Ford New Holland, Inc. Rt. 26 East 2027 Leitersburg Pike 301-662-4197 800-553-6731 Outside MD, 800-331-9122 301-791-1200 Ag Industrial Equipment Route 1. 50 N. Greenmont Rd. 1-800-442-5043 NEW JERSEY Washington. NJ Smith Tractor & Equip., Inc, 15 Hillcrest Ave. 908-689-7900 ICWHOLLAN) INEW HOLLAIVD Credit Company Norman D. Clark & Son, Inc. Honey Grove, PA 717-734-3682 Loysville, PA 717-789-3117 A.B.C. Groff, Inc 110 South Railroad 717-354-4191 Pitman, PA 570-648-1120 S.G.Lewis & Son, Inc. 352 N. Jennersville Rd. 610-869-2214 1-800-869-9029 Antietarn Ford Tractor, Inc. Bridgeton. N.d Leslie G. Fogg, Inc, Canton & Stow Creek Landing Rd. 609-451-2727 609-935-5145 Owen Supply Co. Broad Street & * East Avenue 609-769-0308
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