Blankets to keep GR residents warm

A group of seniors who wanted to make some home-bound residents' lives a little bit warmer made more than 80 blankets to give them.

Members of the sewing group at the Golden Hour Senior Center started the project last spring in the hopes they would have enough made for the 75 residents who receive home delivered meals from the center, executive director Jackie Grubb said. She said the project was an idea former GHCS executive director Sheela Schermetzler had.

This is the same group who made hundreds of hats that were donated to various groups in town, including the Sweetwater County Child Developmental Center, she said.

"We finished our hats and started this," Shirley Okerson said. "We have over 80 now and I stopped counting."

The ladies figured whatever wasn't given to homebound residents would go to someone else who wants one or they could sell them at an upcoming event.

The blankets range in colors, styles and fabrics. Some our crocheted or knitted, while others are fleece tied or sewn. No matter what technique was used, each blanket is unique in its own way.

"They've all put their personalities in them," Grubb said.

As for how much time is put into each blanket, that all depends on whether or not the person making the blanket is a beginner or someone who has done it for a while.

"A beginner will take longer than an expert," Patty Garcia said.

Hazel Wicker said her blankets took about 8 to 10 hours to complete, but this was done over the course of one month.

"It depends on the patterns you make too," Wicker said.

Some of the patterns are more than single or double crocheted, Vivian Shedden explained.

"I think we have a lot of beautiful quilts in here," Gloria Gulp said pointing to a table stacked with blankets.

Shedden said sometimes she gets in a creative rut and seeing all of the different blankets, colors and patterns used by others is an inspiration.

Grubb, who saw each blanket as the ladies completed them had a hard time picking out her favorite blanket. She said every time they would bring a new one in she would say "That's my favorite."

The blankets will be delivered to the homebound residents before Christmas.