Tesserae are individual tiles arranged with painstaking precision and craftsmanship to create a beautiful mosaic which brings pleasure to the viewer. In like manner, tesserae, in this case, God-given skills and abilities, are utilized with care and commitment to compose a mosaic of ministry that impacts the lives of many and brings fulfillment to the artist. The artist is Elaine Robinson, whose artistic endeavors enrich several area ministries which, in turn, gladden the hearts of many in our community and beyond.
Elaine, you are skilled in several craft and artistic disciplines. At what age did you begin your artistic journey, and who inspired you?
I began drawing at an early age, while growing up in Southbridge, Massachusetts. When I was twelve, I decided I wanted to learn to crochet. I had ten aunts, my mother, and two grandmothers, and none of them could crochet! So, I went downtown to Woolworth’s Department Store, bought a how-to book on crocheting, some yarn, crochet hooks, then went home, sat on my bed, and taught myself. No one inspired me, I just had an interest and wanted to learn. I have also learned to quilt, and I enjoy painting.
Tell us about your award-winning quilt and your involvement with the Tall Pines Quilt Guild.
I love to quilt and enjoy the more traditional, old-fashioned styles such as 1930 or Civil War era reproduction prints. I employ a lot of color in my quilts and include hand-embroidery in many of them. My sister-in-law Gloria gave me the pattern for a quilt which won a blue ribbon at the 2018 Walker County Fair. I named it “Massachusetts Memories,” and it is composed of snow globes depicting winter scenes, since that is my favorite season. It is both hand-embroidered and hand-quilted. I had five quilts in the fair this year. I’m very active in the Quilt Guild since retiring from being a teacher’s aide in 2019. As a guild, we raffle a quilt every year, and the proceeds go toward scholarships for two graduating seniors. A candidate must be proficient in either sewing or have an interest in math since quilting involves a great deal of math. We are now in the process of selling raffle tickets, and the raffle will be held during the Huntsville-Walker County “Fair on the Square” in October.
You taught yourself to crochet. How have you used this craft to enrich area ministries?
I was teaching a group of girls to crochet in our Vacation Bible School program at Fellowship of Huntsville Church in June 2019. Tanna Sullivan, who started the Mat Ministry at University Heights Baptist Church, and Alana Smith came to the class to teach us how mats are made with plastic shopping bags. They were involved with a ministry at UHBC called the Bridge Ministry, whose volunteers go to visit the homeless in Houston once a month at a bridge site and deliver plastic sleeping mats, food, and other necessities while sharing the gospel. We learned the steps involved in crocheting a mat, which consists of 540 shopping bags, 11,000 stitches, and generally takes about 15 hours to make. One of the ladies asked me if I wanted to come visit the group, which meets on Mondays from10am-noon at UHBC. I’ve been involved with it ever since and have enjoyed making mats in several unique designs. These mats are lightweight, soft, and easy to clean, all qualities that make them perfect for the situation in which they are used. I’ve made twenty-four mats since 2019. I also crochet thirty hats for this ministry each year, and usually donate these during the colder months.
I also help with Charity Bee, a group that meets monthly to make small quilts and other items for local charities that serve children and other needs in the community. I crochet small animals and hats, and usually donate six animals and six hats per month to this cause, which are then donated to the Care Center Huntsville, a non-profit pregnancy medical center which provides testing and education services. The Care Center recipients attend educational classes and earn “Baby Bucks” with which they can “purchase” items such as diapers, formula, clothes and hats, baby blankets, and toys.
Now on to yet another ministry you help with, and that is the Pillowcase Ministry. Tell us about this ministry and your involvement in it.
In 2010, the American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine issued a challenge to their subscribers to make one million pillowcases. I thought, “I can do that,” so I started making pillowcases. The company had a counter on their website at that time where you could log in and note the number of pillowcases you had made, which I did. A couple of years later I came up with the idea of my church getting involved with this on a local level. I got approval to start this “ministry” and have been leading this effort for ten years. People have donated fabric, money to purchase fabric, or have helped with the sewing. The first year, we made a total of sixty-three pillowcases, and this past year we completed 332. These are donated to assisted living centers, CASA, the Care Center Huntsville, and some health organizations. We also give them to people in our congregation at Fellowship of Huntsville Church who are sick or going through cancer treatments. Also, I was thrilled recently when several friends and I were asked to teach girls from the local American Heritage Girls troop how to make pillowcases so they could donate them to the needy. I enjoy seeing young girls learn to sew and am thrilled to pass along this productive and satisfying endeavor to the next generation.
And finally let’s hear from Elaine, the painter!
I guess it’s like crocheting; I decided I wanted to paint and made it happen! I asked my husband Bob for a band saw one Christmas and started cutting out seasonal shapes to paint. Before long, our children’s minister at church asked if I would paint some scenery and props for our Sunday School classes. Then, I found myself painting stage scenery for our Vacation Bible School program. I enjoy the creativity that comes with designing and painting.
Do you have any special testimonials you would like to share?
After donating my handiwork, I usually don’t get feedback from the recipients, but I know it is all going to worthy causes and will be used. I do get an excited response from the person I speak with at Creekside Retirement Community when I tell her that I have pillowcases ready for delivery. Also, there is only one other time where I remember getting instant feedback. It was wintertime and a very chilly day. I was driving to the Matmakers class for the Bridge Ministry, and I happened to think about a man I saw sitting in the Walmart parking lot on many days. He was never begging, but just sitting on the curb. I prayed that he would be there on my way home, and I could give him one of the two crocheted hats that I had in my car. As I drove up to the spot, he was there and had a friend with him. I cautiously lowered my window, and he came to the car and very courteously greeted me. I asked him if he and his friend would like hats, and he said, “Yes ma’am, it done got cold out here.” As I left the parking lot where he and his friend were again sitting, now wearing my crocheted hats, not only were their heads warmed, but my heart was warmed as well. I thanked God for His gift to them and to me.
Please share any advice you have for others who may want to use their talents and skills to advance causes bigger than themselves.
Just go for it! You’ll never know what you can do until you try. Just try it and see. I like to share with others. And I try to use my time wisely. When my husband and I watch a TV show, I do so with crochet hook and yarn in hand. Before I know it, I’ve got a basketful of hats and little animals ready for people in need. I’m grateful that God has blessed me with these skills, and I am pleased to pass on blessings to others.
Elaine continues the trend of blessing others by currently serving in the Mothers Morning Out ministry at FOHC. Her mosaic of ministry, if actually a quilt, would be on a grand scale covering a king-sized area. Thank you, Elaine, for being a blessing to so many and for encouraging us to share the skills and talents we have been given.
Bridge Ministry: University Heights Baptist Church; 936-295-2996; uhbc.net
Tall Pines Quilt Guild and Charity Bee:
www.tallpinesquiltguild.comPillowcase Ministry: Fellowship of Huntsville Church, 936-291-2570
