Quilt commemorates famous war poem

In Flanders fields the poppies blow/Beside the crosses, row on row.

So goes the solemn 1915 poem composed by a young Canadian officer, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, after the death of his friend by a German artillery shell on the battlefields of Ypres, Belgium, during World War I.

A Susan Cobb quilt commemorating the poem and quiet inspiration of the famous Flanders Fields American Cemetery established in Waregem, Belgium, after the war was recently donated to the Sisters VFW and American Legion Posts. The veterans organizations will raffle the quilt as a fundraiser on Memorial Day at Village Green Park following the annual ceremonial services.

The whole project was sparked after a performance of the Sisters Community Choir last Memorial Day. Cobb, a member of the choir, purchased a symbolic "buddy" poppy sold outside by the VFW after the holiday program and thought it would be nice to have something permanent and lasting, using the bright remembrance flower as a theme.

"There's a legacy surrounding the sale of these poppies. They were originally used to supplement the income of widows and wounded veterans of World War I," explained Cobb. "That tradition has been carried on for decades and continues today.

"Being a quilter, I approached VFW Adjutant Lance Trowbridge about creating a quilt they could use to raise money. It's a unique design I drew up after researching the topic and history of the famous poppies around Flanders Fields. I pieced up the top and made the backing, and Betty Ann Guadalupe and I applied the continuous bias binding."

The finished quilt measures 68-by-78 inches and depicts the bold red poppies and stark white crosses mentioned in the McCrae poem, which is written in its entirety on the back and signed by both creators.

All of the high-quality fabric was purchased at Stitchin' Post by Cobb and Guadalupe. Between the two of them, more than 100 total hours were invested in the project from inception to completion.

American Legion Post Commander Gene Hellickson appeared visibly moved by the quilt's donation and the enormity of the quilters' time and effort.

"It's so nice that she's done this for us completely on her own initiative and at no cost to us," he said. "It's a dramatic, beautiful piece of collectible artwork and we are thankful to have it."

Raffle tickets for the "In Flanders Fields" quilt will be on sale at various locations and events around Sisters this spring and cost $1 each or six for $5, with all proceeds going to the Sisters VFW and American Legion posts.

For tickets and information contact Gene Hellickson at 541-480-8638 or [email protected]