Quilt to benefit church

Members of the Monette United Methodist Church has a campaign underway to raise funds to help with needed building projects.

The building looks good, but it is over 100 years old and is in need of some work.

A discussion on ways to meet the needs of some of the renovation projects inspired Marion Sparkman's creative side.

Sparkman retired in 2005 and started sewing. She started with sewing scrubs for the nursing home staff and moved on to quilting. The self-taught quilter started learning all she could about quilting.

"I was about to start a new quilt when something told me I needed to do a quilt for the church," she said. "I decided to do a Civil War quilt. There is a lot of interest in the Civil War era."

Sparkman went back and forth in her mind about making the quilt for the church and finally she just asked the Lord if that is what He wanted her to do.

After that, she said everthing just came togehter. She got the material and in the first day she had the blocks cut out and sewn togehter. She had the quilt made in three days without having to even take out one stitich.

"Usually, I always had something to take out or do over, but with this one everything just went together perfectly," Sparkman said.

Each block on the quilt represents an event, item or person of the Civil War era. Some of the blocks include Fort Sumter, with Blockade Center; Palmetto Tree, the version of the palmetto was inspired by a design found on a Civil War era uniform button from South Carolina; Little Giant, a block for orator Stephen Douglas; Lost Children with Red Cross Center; Roses and Plumes blocks; The Arch, which shows the arch or gatehouse of Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, Penn.; North & South block, shows the uniting of each pieced square into a whole. Other blocks include Friendship Star; Old Maid's Puzzle; Union Square; Yankee Puzzle; Eagle & Shield; Thirteen Stars; Cotton Boll; and Sherman's March.

Sparkman gave the quilt to the church when it was finished.

Committee members expressed their appreciation for the gift. Plans are to take donations for the quilt. A date will be set for a drawing. All proceeds from the quilt will go to the building project.

Committee members are also planning to make a church cookbook as a fundraiser. They are looking for recipes from folks in the area. The cookbook will also have memorial pages for sale. Recipe pick-up envelopes will be placed at several businesses in Leachville and Monette.

For more information on the recipe book persons may contact Jennie Worthey, Reba Wimberley or other committee members.