Quilt Shop Donates Pillowcases to Their Local Hospital

Story originally published by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

A local quilt shop in Finleyville, Pennsylvania, went above and beyond to reduce the stress of sick children at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Quilter's Corner quilt shop donated nearly 3,000 pillowcases to Ryan's Case for Smiles, a national organization that sews and donates pillowcases to hospitalized children in honor of Ryan Kerr, a cancer patient who died at the age of 17.

With roughly 127 volunteers of all ages, the sewers took to their own collections to find fabrics that would appeal to kids. Some of the volunteers even purchased themed fabric specifically for the event. Once the pillowcases are completed, they are collected by the organization and washed, ironed, and sealed into plastic bags before donation.

A highly anticipated event at the hospitals, many of the children will request certain colors and patterns after the pillowcases are donated. "The nurses will root through the bags to pick out certain colors or to fulfill a certain request-there is anything from John Deere to Barbie," Michael Shulock, child life specialist in the oncology clinic at Children's hospital, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

With the help of volunteers, Quilter's Corner owner Mary Beth Hartnett says her shop has donated more than 12,000 pillowcases over the last six years.