Friendly Neighborhood Quilters

Updated: August 11, 2022

Serving More Than Just The Neighborhood

Emilio Flores
La Feria News

Harlingen, Texas — A mighty group of women has been volunteering their time and resources to people in need for quite some time.

The group named “the Friendly Quilters” are based out of Harlingen and they outreach to those in need. They make tote bags, bibs, comfort pillows for women after surgery, dresses and other clothing items, and let’s not forget their beautiful quilts. They really do it all!

Mayra Boykin, the logistics leader of the group shares that Friendly Quilters has been around since the 80s; Something that started as just a way quilters could share their inspiration has become an outreach to those in need!

Boykin says that they have winter Texans from as far as Canada and New York come to help make their projects in the winter. The group is made up of all volunteers and because of that, they work completely off of donations.

“Really what we can and can’t do depends on our donations.” Boykin says.

And boy are they creative, repurposing fabric from curtains and pillow cases, whatever they can get, they use!

“We have other ministries that we share stuff with because alot of them use some things we don’t.” Anyway they can give back to those in need they do!

Mayra Boykin thanks the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Harlingen which has provided them their space since they started and even recently remodeled for the ladies to have a closet to keep their fabrics and supplies there.

They told La Feria News “We used to haul A LOT of stuff,” she continues by sharing that Saint Paul recently provided them with a closet for them to store their fabrics and different material.

Boykin says that this summer they have doubled the number of regulars that meet every week, and she’s happy about that. The word has spread solely by word of mouth and now the group is needing donations for their current project of making comfort pillows and adult napkin bibs. The pillow and adult eating napkin are made by patients or individuals that find call them. Boykin says many of the ladies are apart of different group and that’s how they hear about the people in need. The most recent request was by a lady who has been diagnosed with cancer. The comfort pillows are great to use under they’re arm or between the seatbelt in the car.

Friendly Quilters will be having a yard sale on August 20th, 2022 from 8 AM-Noon at Eastgate Mobile Home Park Clubhouse 2801 E. Harrison Ave. in Harlingen. They ask that you please stop by to help raise money for their project. They also invite anyone that would like to join their club to come by and said “You don’t even need to know how to sow!”

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