The Chelsea Senior Center isn’t known as a textile manufacturer, but truth be told, a case could be made on the second floor for the quilting group that has been meeting for 25 years – producing an incredible 12 homemade quilts per month.
The quilters have long ties back to the original Empty Spoolers, who started quilting at the Center even longer than 25 years ago.
The group is so established that some of the newer members have had a previous generation put their hand to the quilting club – with their mothers or another family member having had participated in the original group.
With the great work of Eileen Gregory (original member), Angela Panaresse (original member) Irene Malachowski (original member), Bunny Shuman, Louise Finnegan, Cathy DeVitto, Pat Doucette, Jackie Mackay, Elaine Patti, Anita Arsenault, and Ana Garcia, the group makes approximately a dozen quilts per month – no small feat.
The quilts are made with care because they are made for disadvantaged youths and babies. After they are finished, they are shipped out to babies and young children that are under the care of the Boston Medical Center, Mass. Dept. of Children and Family (DCF-Chelsea) and they have gone as far as Armenia. The quilters are open to visitors, and the public is encouraged to come see how they work. Anyone who would like to stop by the Senior Center to view some of the work and talk with the Empty Spoolers can do so every Friday from 9 a.m. – noon.