Quilters of Covington are making a difference one quilt at a time by offering them to different organizations in the area.

Covington Quilters Guild is a nonprofit that provides quilts for children and adults with “adversities,” according to their pamphlet. To this day, the guild has distributed more than 2,586 since 2005.

On July 27, the guild hosted its annual quilt show and annual Raffle Quilt, which provides the funds to help the quilter’s continue making quilts for different organizations, the pamphlet said.

Lori George, one of the chairpeople for Covington Quilter’s Guild, said another purpose for the quilt show is for members of the guild to show off what they have done for the community and show their own personal crafts, like wall hangings, table liners and bags.

Every year there is a different theme for the show, Lori said.

This year’s quilting show was called “The Finding Joy Quilt Show.”

Organizations that the guild has been giving quilts to are American Airlines – Seattle Snowball express, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Covington and Auburn MultiCare, the Jennifer Beach Foundation, Pediatric Interim Care and Ryther Child Center, according to Lori.

“We give to Valley Medical Breast Cancer Center. So when the women come in and they’re diagnosed with breast cancer, they have to have surgery (and) before they go into surgery they get a quilt. When they go in, that’s something that will give them comfort,” Lori said as an example. “We’re trying really hard to focus where our stuff is going to make the best, biggest bang.”

Lori hosts monthly quilting workshops at her house where people come over and start making the quilts.

“I have a big sewing room, and we have different kits we put together. All those quilts will be given to one of these places (that they give quilts to).”

To make the quilts, Lori said it’s a bit of a process that can cost a lot of time and money.

Each year, she said she is given a budget of $1,500 from the guild, which when fabric can cost upwards of $12 a yard, that budget isn’t quite a enough.

She said a quilt with the dimensions of 48 by 50 can cost anywhere from $400 to $800 to make. She also said sometimes the guild receives donations, which is helpful.

As for making the quilts, Lori said each quilt go through eight people before it is done.

“The way it works with us is we have the workshop, and sometimes we can get the top (of the quilt) done in a day, depending on how much we like to visit and eat, and then those tops will get put together with the back and the binding and it goes to our long-arm quilter — who has quilted over 800 quilts for us,” Lori said. “So he does all the quilting throughout the layers and then he brings them back to me then they go up for binding, and other members volunteer to put the binding on and close it up. There’s several hands on this quilt.”

Quilting has been a passion for Lori for a long time, but it wasn’t always something she did.

According to Lori, she got started making quilts in 1980 when she wanted to buy one, but did not have enough money to do so.

“I thought, ‘Well, I can learn how to make a quilt.’ Of course I didn’t do everything right because I didn’t know (how to do it). Then I took some classes and went, ‘Oh, so this is how you do it.’ There’s a whole lot into it that you have to know. Once I learned how to do it right it was a lot more rewarding,” she said.

Lori joined Covington Quilters Guild in 2002.

“After 9/11, it was just sad. You know the whole country was sad and my husband said, ‘You need to do something,’ and kind of forced me (to join the guild), and I’m so glad I did. The people in these organizations are the best people in the world — loving, giving, sharing, kind— I just feel really blessed.”

According to Lori, she loves quilting and making an impact in people’s lives.

“By spending my time, I’m giving part of me to that process instead of writing a check or giving money. When I give my time, I know exactly what’s happening to it. When I make that quilt top I know exactly what I put into it. So it’s a part of me and it’s out there forever. It’s what keeps me motivated. I love it,” she said.