Members of the Woodworkers Guild of Western Colorado, the Montrose Visual Arts Guild and the Friendship Quilters of Western Colorado teamed up to make 60 hand-crafted doll cradles complete with mattresses and quilts and 125 wooden cars for area children. The toys will be donated to the Toys for Tots/Cops for Kids program, which supplies toys for families in need.
“Part of our focus is to give back to the community in some way,” said Martin Lutz, president of the woodworkers’ guild. “We don’t just get together and make stuff. We want to be able to give back.”
  
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“This was a really good project for the group,” he said. “We were able to work together a little closer and it’s for such a good cause.”
Lutz estimates about 25 members of the woodworkers guild pitched in to make the cradles and cars. The group has nearly 70 members ranging from beginners to those who have 50-plus years of woodworking experience. Woodworker guild member Rusty Olson salvaged, prepared and donated all the aspen wood used to make the items. The wood used for the project came from aspens that had fallen in high winds — none were cut down.
Members of the Montrose Visual Arts Guild then painted the cradles with various designs ranging from flowers to angels and entire winter portraits. Members of the Friendship Quilters of Western Colorado made quilts and mattresses for each cradle.
All in all, nearly 90 local artists pitched in to help make the toys. Barbara Scheu is a member of both the visual arts and quilting guilds. She helped paint some of the cradles and made quilts and mattresses.
“I painted some angels, columbines and I painted a quilting design on one of them. I did little sunbonnet girls,” Scheu said. “I made the quilts with what I had on hand.”
Scheu added that one of the woodworkers wives later matched quilts to cradles with similar themes.
“This was just such a good cause. We all wanted to help. The woodworkers did such wonderful jobs making those cradles. They were really made from scratch. They are such a wonderful gift.”
Mary Ross, a fellow member of the quilting guild, was also delighted by the project.
“We want the children of this community to know that there are people outside their families that love and care for them,” Ross said. “We like to help the community.”
Members of the guild often make charity quilts for various organizations and nursing homes. Some members take on specific causes such as war veterans or children groups and make multiple quilts throughout the year.
Fellow quilter Leah Morgan made three quilts and mattress sets. At least 25 members of the group helped on this particular project, she said.
“I think if you asked each one of the people who pitched in on the quilts they would say they did it to bring happiness to 60 little girls,” Morgan said. “Everyone was so motivated and just thrilled to be involved in the project.”
The finished toys were being stored at the home of woodworking guild member Jim Norfleet last week. Lines of cradles and groups of wooden cars filled his home.
The cradles, adorned with 60 different designs, sat ready for delivery while final touches like door detailing and windows added to the creativity of each of the toy cars.
“Martin (Lutz) brought the idea to our group. He had done projects like this before when he lived in Texas,” Norfleet said. “We had a lot of members turn out and what happened was theses cradles ended up being mass produced in shops throughout the community. Everybody was cutting and sanding.”
Montrose Visual Arts Guild first vice-president Lael Van Riper was not only pleased with the end result of the cradles and cars, but was also pleased the group’s talents could help the community.
The Cops for Kids program was originally hosted by the city of Montrose. Last year the program combined efforts with the national Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. The city of Montrose staff continues to coordinate the program and receives both monetary donations and manpower from Marines, said Elsa Anderson, assistant city manager.
Anderson said donations of toys and money come in from private citizens, local businesses and local organizations. Families who receive toys must meet certain qualifiers, which are part of the application process.
Children ages 1 through 17 are eligible for the program.
Families in need may pick up applications for the program at various local locations, including Sharing Ministries, Victory Baptist Church, Hilltop Tandem Families, Montrose County Health and Human Services, Montrose City Hall and Community Options.
Applications must be turned in no later than Friday, Dec. 14. For more information including where to get applications or how to donate toys contact 252-5213. To volunteer to assist with the program contact Carolyn Bellavance at 240-1420.
“The community has been very supportive of this program and we are very appreciative,” Anderson said. “Last year we were able to give toys to all children for which we received applications. We helped approximately 450 children.”
Lutz said not only was the collaborative project a wonderful opportunity to help local children but he said the chance to bring artisans together was fantastic.
“This whole thing was just a huge success,” Lutz said. “The visual arts guild and the quilters came on board. This project has given us an opportunity as an art community to work together and I think it is safe to say we are thrilled with how it all turned out.”
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