A Quilting Bee was the place to be for 14 dedicated quilters during the past year at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Allentown.

The World Piece Quilters began their project more than one year ago, says Eileen Lane, coordinator of the St. John’s quilters’ group. The group’s name is a pun on the phrase “world peace” with reference to the pieces of a quilt.

The 110 quilts made by the quilters and 66 personal care kits and 68 baby care kits assembled by the volunteers went to Lutheran World Relief to address disasters in 16 nations, including the United States.

“Making Lutheran World Relief Mission Quilts is a tangible way to express love to our neighbors in need. Quilts can be used as warm bedding, simple tents or floor coverings. Each one reflects God’s loving presence in a world rife with suffering,” states the Lutheran World Relief website.

Lutheran World Relief distributed its first quilts in 1945 to families in war-torn Europe following World War II. Within a decade, the ministry was reaching around the globe to villages. An average of 300,000 quilts is given worldwide each year, according to the website.

“Lutheran World Relief provides for people in need. Quilts are just one of those items. They also provide school kits, baby care kits, personal care kits and fabric kits,” Lane says.

The Rev. Brad Carroll, pastor, St. John’s Lutheran Evangelical Church, Allentown, officiated at the “Blessing of the Quilts and Kits” during the Oct. 5 Sunday service.

“That Monday [Oct 6], we boxed the quilts. Kristi Smith Re/Max Real Estate [3120 Hamilton Boulevard, Allentown] donated use of the company’s box truck,” says Lane.

“We used that truck to take not only the quilts from St. John’s, but other churches in the Northeast Synod. We parked the truck at St. John’s and everybody brought their boxes to us. We filled the truck.

“Then my husband, Michael, and I drove to Ephrata [Lancaster County]. We met up with a tractor-trailer loaded with donations from the Lower Susquehanna Synod churches. Our donations were added to the truck. We practically filled the truck.

“The truck went to the Lutheran World Relief warehouse in Minneapolis for processing. From Minneapolis, they go wherever needed,” Lane says.

Of the quilters’ group, she says, “We started in October 2024 until September 2025. It’s basically one-year’s production. This is our fourth donation year. We started in 2021.”

Beverly Vos, a member of St. John’s, won a quilt in a raffle. “The raffle is one of the ways that we raise money to buy batting, which goes inside the quilts. The congregation supports our quilting group through financial donations and supplies,” says Lane.

In starting the group, Lane says, “I was recently retired and quilting is something I wanted to do.”

Each quilt is 60 inches by 80 inches per Lutheran World Rescue specifications, Lane says.

Quilts are made from cotton fabric with polyester batting. A quilt top has 48 squares sewn together in eight rows of six squares. Each square is 11 inches by 11 inches.

“We sew them together with a 1/2-inch seam for strength, compared to the standard 1/4-inch seam used in traditional quilts,” Lane says.

The back of the quilt is typically a single fabric, such as a bed sheet or other large fabric, says Lane.

“After the quilt top, batting and quilt back are assembled into a quilt sandwich, it is tied at the corner and center of each square. Finally, the quilt is bound at the edges, which finishes the quilt,” Lane says.

“Some are experienced quilters and some don’t sew,” says Lane of the quilters’ group. “After a quilt top is made we have to make a quilt sandwich and the non-sewers help with that.”

Will the World Piece Quilters be making quilts at St. John’s for next year?

“Absolutely. We’ve already started,” says Lane.

The Quilt & Kit Ministry Guide is available at: https://lwr.org/qkguide

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Allentown, information: 610-435-1587; office@sjat.org; https://www.stjohnsallentown.org/