The internet isn’t always an uplifting place, but sometimes, something happens that reaffirms your belief in the goodness of humanity. For Twitter user Shannon Downey, that seems to be exactly what went down after she sent out a call for help completing an unfinished quilting project that she came across at an estate sale.
In a Twitter thread that has gone viral since she posted it on Wednesday, Downey explains how she discovered a box full of yet-to-be embroidered fabric squares in the bedroom of a home that had been owned by a recently deceased 99-year-old woman named Rita and just knew that she had to finish what Rita had started.
“I knew I had to buy it and finish it but it was a massive f—ing undertaking and while I embroider, I don’t quilt,” she wrote. “I bought it for $6.”
Instead of tackling the project on her own, Downey decided to reach out to her Instagram followers for help; the response was instant and overwhelming. “In one day, I had over 1,000 volunteers!!! Because people are amazing,” she wrote. “There are 100 individual hexagons to be embroidered to make the quilt…”
Downey went on to say that while her stitchers were still busy embroidering — using a quilt Rita had already completed as a style guide — she already had 30 quilters ready to handle the quilting phase.
“The packages are arriving to my stitchers and they are furiously stitching their hexies,” she wrote. “We are using the completed map that I bought (that we can reasonably assume was made by Rita) to try to mirror her stitching techniques and style!”
See the full thread below.
A story… (in proper thread form)
I go estate sale shopping regularly and whenever I find an unfinished embroidery project I buy it and finish it bc there’s no way that soul is resting with an unfinished project left behind. One day I found this stunner for $5. The I walked pic.twitter.com/2zIzTsRuSI
— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019
it was a massive fucking undertaking and While I embroider, I don’t quilt. I bought it for $6. I took the address of the home and did a little research and learned that the owner was named Rita and it seems she died at 99. That woman STARTED a massive quilting project at 99… pic.twitter.com/Hc66js9aNh
— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019
I made a massive spreadsheet and collected mailing addresses. I started preparing the squares to ship out to my new team. As I did, I discover Rita had stitched 2 of the states already! What a grand surprise. I’m not saying I cried but I’m not saying I didn’t. pic.twitter.com/YfkzPZ25NO
— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019
As the stitchers waiting for them to arrive, some folks started doing research on Rita. They are excellent researchers. Found her husband, maiden name, that she was a Canadian immigrant, became a nurse and look – they found her high school yearbook photo! pic.twitter.com/XSxbSuYFvI
— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019
We’ve got over 30 Chicago quilters lines up to handle the quilting phase of the project once we get all of the hand-stitched hexies back. Humans are amazing. Community can be built anywhere. You can follow along on Instagram —-> #RitasQuilt
— Shannon “Badass Cross Stitch” Downey (@ShannonDowney) October 23, 2019
Read more: time.com
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