Sedro-Woolley church continues work with Project Linus

SEDRO-WOOLLEY - The sanctuary at Bethlehem Lutheran Church was awash in bright colors last week as every pew was draped in quilts and blankets.

Quilts and blankets even hung from the balcony and from the church's piano.

The congregation's first of two Blessing of the Blankets was held Sunday as hundreds of handmade, donated quilts and blankets were displayed and blessed before being donated to a number of nonprofits, charities, hospitals, schools, and fire and police departments.

"We have a blessing that we say, and we ask the people to touch the quilt and to put their love into the quilt for the child who will eventually get it," Teri Bever said. "We have no idea who that will be and that doesn't matter. What matters, it's a child in need getting a blanket that will comfort them."

The biannual event is also held in the fall.

Blessed on Sunday were 319 quilts and blankets, 31 hats and 27 baby burp cloths. There were also 29 pillowcase dresses bound for girls attending schools in Africa.

The church's event is truly a labor of love and part of a national endeavor known as Project Linus, which has a mission of "Providing security through blankets."

Through Project Linus, handmade blankets created by volunteers called "blanketeers" are given to children throughout the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.

With chapters in every state, Project Linus has delivered about 10.5 million blankets since it began in 1995.

Blanketeers at Bethlehem Lutheran Church include Bever, Judy Garrison, Judy Johnson, Marilyn Shearer, Noni Moody, JoAnn Lazaron and Becky Bunke.

Most learned to quilt from their grandmothers.

"This is where our heart is," Moody said. "We all have such compassion for children and it makes us happy to give these blankets out."

Moody also quipped as to an underlying reason for their efforts.

"This keeps us out of the bars," she said with a laugh.

Johnson said thread is her life and that she keeps spreadsheets on quilting.

That would stand to reason seeing as how she belongs to Threadmongers, a statewide group specializing in supplying quilters with what they need.

"These many pieces of fabric quilted together are reminders of when and where we were," Johnson said. "I've traveled all over the country and if there was a quilt shop in a town, I stopped in. I can still remember when and where that fabric came from no matter how long ago it was."

The group became involved with the Linus Project in 2003, and thus far has donated 6,983 quilts and blankets, every one of which has to have a Linus Project tag sewed onto it.

"We heard about it and we thought, 'Oh, that might be a fun project for us to do,'" Bever said. "We thought, 'You know, if we each contributed two or three quilts a year, that'd be great. That'd be really good.' And now it has blossomed into this."

Those donating come from not only Skagit County, but Whatcom and Snohomish counties.

"People just love to quilt and they quilt year-round," Bever said. "Then they bring them to us."

Over the years, the group has become familiar with donors based on the quilts and blankets they produce. In one case, the efforts of an older woman are dropped off by her caregiver.

"We've never seen this lady. We only know through the caregiver that her family keeps her in yarn," Bever said. "We know her stitch. We know who it is because of the pattern, and it's amazing. We just think it's awesome that her family cares enough for her to keep her in yarn so she has a purpose in life, and I just think it's fabulous."

A lot of this group's efforts are derived from donated materials.

"Really we see this as our legacy," Johnson said. "It's what we do for fun and it helps make kids happy."

Lazaron said the Blessing of the Blankets not only allows her to help children in need, it also allows her to expand her quilting repertoire.

"I am always wondering what kind of quilt I should make," she said. "I always get good ideas here. There are just so many."

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 5:53 PM.