From T-shirts to Treasured Threads

As a longstanding member of Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) and current High Secretary, Betty Fiegen of St. Mary 1173 in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, had amassed a considerable collection of Feeding God’s Children T-shirts over the years. She had diligently preserved the shirts but had contemplated a meaningful use for them for some time.

Finally, an opportunity for her to make use of them revealed itself at St. Mary Catholic School’s annual live auction fundraiser in Dell Rapids.

Always Your Design, a well-known and reputable local quilt shop located in an old bank building on Main Street, entered the live auction offering bidders a chance to create a brand new, bespoke quilt tailored to their liking. Betty ended up being the highest bidder.

“You bring in the T-shirts, they make the quilt,” she said. “I decided a Feeding God’s Children quilt was going to be meaningful, and it has a lot of meaning to me.”

The result: A garish eiderdown with impeccably centered Feeding God’s Children logos from over the years, each one a testament to the fraternal efforts of Catholic Order of Foresters members.

“I left it up to them to do what they wanted, but I picked out the quilt design, which is all crosses,” said Betty.

The quilt represents a symbol of hope and compassion, a reflection of the good that can result when people collaborate toward a common, good objective.