By Lynn Kyle
WEST POINT – Immaculate Conception parishioner Theresa Jolly, an accomplished seamstress and embroider, decided in 2018 to see if anyone else in the parish might want to learn to hand-make quilts and do embroidery. The first project for the sewing club was to be lap quilts, but this quickly turned into a full-size quilt which was presented to Virginia Johnson. Johnson has been a member of the parish for more than 90 years and is still a part time secretary for the church.
This year, the sewing club, comprised of teacher, Jolly, students, Margie Burns, Debbie Dichiara, Lynn Betbeze and Mary Waldrep decided to make baby quilts and donate them to a hospital. The ladies proudly displayed their quilts in the vestibule of the church for our parishioners to see. On Thursday, May 30, Jolly packed up the quilts and mailed them to St. Dominic’s in Jackson.
“I had the pleasure of being able to see the ladies during their classes and watch as they took small squares of cloth and ended up with such beautiful gifts of their hands and their hearts. I can’t wait to see what they are going to do next. Whatever it is, it will be just as wonderful as the past projects,” said parish secretary Lynn Kyle.

WEST POINT – At right, Virginia Johnson with her quilt presented by the Immaculate Conception Sewing Club.
At left,Theresa Jolly, Margie Burns, Mary Waldrep and Lynn Betbeze at work. (Photo by Lynn Kyle)