Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- One quilter's final quilt she made before she died is featured at Intermountain Foundation's holiday quilt show this weekend. Friends and family say it represents her dedication to helping newborns.
- Funds raised will help purchase an ultrasound machine for Primary Children's Hospital.
- The show includes only hand-quilted works.
SALT LAKE CITY — Chris Manning spent decades involved with quilt shows, but "Baby Born" — her final project displayed at a quilt show this week — has a special meaning to many who knew her.
She died last year, but shortly before her death, Manning gave 60 baby figures to friends who offered to help finish the quilt she designed.
Husband Brent Manning said their second granddaughter weighed less than 3 pounds when she was born and was in a California intensive care unit for a long time.
"The idea of doing something to help newborns was really important to her," he said.
Chris Manning's quilt is one of 76 quilts being shown at the Holiday Quilt Show and Auction at Little America Hotel this weekend, hosted by Intermountain Foundation. Funds raised through the quilt show will help Intermountain Health purchase an ultrasound imaging machine that will help doctors diagnose and treat unborn babies.
Intermountain Health said the machine is vital to allow Primary Children's Hospital to continue to provide the "highest level of care" to its patients at the Grant Scott Bonham Fetal Center.
The Holiday Quilt Show and Auction is also one of the last quilt shows in the United States that contains only hand-quilted quilts, as machine quilting has become more available.
Judy Reese, chairwoman of the Holiday Quilt Show and Auction volunteer board, said helping Chris Manning bring her vision for the quilt to life was an honor, and it was special to complete her final project with friends.
"This quilt represents more than just fabric and stitching; it embodies Chris' passion and her unwavering commitment to our cause. ... With each embroidered face and every stitch, Chris' spirit and dedication live on," she said.
Meredyth Armitage, executive director of the Intermountain Foundation, said through the annual quilt show the community can help rewrite the stories of local children and families.
"Each year hundreds of talented, dedicated volunteers give countless hours of their time, talents, and resources to create beautiful handmade quilts to benefit others," she said.
The show began Thursday morning and is ends at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, ahead of an evening gala, dinner and auction. Tickets to the quilt show are $8 and can be purchased at the show or online.
