Quilters Guild and Blue Star Moms partner up

11/5/2025

The Eastern Polk County Quilters Guild had some simple missions as of a few months ago: make some stockings, and help supply care packages for the Blue Star Mothers of Iowa, a nonprofit of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard, reserves or veterans. The quilters guild, through the help of Cindy Alcorn and Marilyn Breen, did those — and then some.

Alcorn joined the guild 12 years ago. A patient of hers at the hospital where she worked had a quilting magazine. After talking about it with the patient, she decided she wanted to give it a shot. As for Breen, she has been a member for three years.

The guild is involved in several forms of charity. Whether it be donating quilts to various organizations or donating dresses to children in Africa, the next project seemed right up their alley.

Karen Seidl of BSMI reached out to the quilters guild, and Alcorn answered the call. 

“I took it to my board meeting. I was just telling them that this is what they need to fill the care packages. This is the stocking pattern,” Alcorn said. “They thought it would be a really good idea for us. Marilyn came up with the idea that July would be snack stuff. In August, we did toiletries. Then, in September, it was for anything else that they needed.”

During that time, the quilters’ guild got to work on the stockings. Alcorn printed out a template for the other members to reference, and their hands got busy. 

“People went crazy. I said, when we first started I would be happy if we got 500 stockings. And then, in August, we were over 500. Marilyn asked if I had anything to say, and I said, ‘Yes, you guys are you’re blowing me away. This is amazing.’ I said, ‘How about we do 700?’ ” Alcorn said.

Alcorn made around 150 stockings herself. Some members of the group made more than others. 

“Everybody brought what they’d completed at the September meeting. I counted them and added them up as they brought them in. One gal made 300 herself,” Alcorn said. 

Even people from outside the organization helped make donations. 

“My next-door neighbor is a quilter, but she’s had health issues, so she hasn’t been able to quilt for a long time. I asked her, ‘Do you have any Christmas fabric or patriotic fabric, fabric that you can donate?’ Her granddaughter brought me a whole box of fabric,” Alcorn said.

Making the stockings and getting everyone to participate, especially for a good cause, made it easier to convince the group to pitch in.

“Everybody was so willing to help. Like when we had the quilting retreats, and I had them already cut out, people would come over to the table and make a couple and put it back in the box,” Alcorn said.

The only problem with the stockings was trying to keep a count of how many they had made.

As for the care packages, the main challenge is finding a way to fund the shipping. The groups have reached out to various representatives and organizations to varying degrees of success. A car show, Hot Rods for Heroes, helped fund a large chunk of the project, but there is a large cost remains. 

“We’re currently in need and looking for anybody who has any connections to packaging companies so that we can get them expedited,” Alcorn said.

Nevertheless, the partnership between the two groups could not have gone any better, according to both. 

“I’m just excited and thankful that these quilting organizations have stepped up to serve our men and women. We’re very grateful for the quality organizations in the state of Iowa that stepped up to the plate,” Seidl said. 

On the group’s website, www.bluestarmothersofiowa.com/home, there are links to where you can donate, lists of what goes in the care packages, and more information on how to help them box the packages and prepare them to be sent. ♦