In Ahwatukee, a remarkable group of quilters is transforming fabric into healing art, one stitch at a time. Led by Judy Lohavanijaya and Sharon Keys, this dedicated team creates interactive quilts that serve as therapeutic tools for those in need. Their colorful creations have become sources of comfort and joy throughout the community, offering far more than warmth to their recipients.
The Therapeutic Impact:
Judy Lohavanijaya, Sharon Keys, and their volunteers have turned a simple Daughters of the American Revolution service project into a powerful healing initiative. Their handcrafted quilts now bring comfort and stimulation to veterans in Phoenix and Prescott VA hospitals, memory care patients at Friendship Village in Tempe, and individuals struggling with ADHD and autism. The emotional impact is evident in recipients’ reactions. “When we see them receive their quilts, their faces light up, and it’s wonderful to observe,” Keys shares. Many recipients express disbelief that such thoughtfully crafted items are given freely, underscoring the unexpected generosity behind each creation.
The therapeutic value of these quilts extends beyond simple comfort. Each carefully designed piece provides sensory stimulation and emotional connection for people facing significant challenges. For veterans coping with trauma, memory care patients fighting cognitive decline, and neurodivergent individuals seeking sensory regulation, these quilts offer a tangible way to engage with the world. The volunteers may not always witness the moment their creations reach new homes, but when they do, the profound emotional impact confirms the power of their work—transforming fabric and found objects into tools for healing minds and hearts.
Creative Process and Design Elements:
The magic happens during weekly Quilting Bee sessions at Lohavanijaya’s home, where five sewing machines and a serger transform ordinary materials into extraordinary creations. The quilters think far beyond traditional patterns, incorporating unexpected elements that invite interaction. “We just find stuff and create things out of them,” explains Lohavanijaya. Their inspiration comes from diverse sources, including Pinterest and clip art, but the true creativity emerges when they reimagine everyday objects—shower loofahs become textured cupcakes, jewelry dangles above pockets for easy handling, and even spoons find new purpose within the colorful squares.
Each quilt is meticulously designed with engaging features that encourage tactile exploration. Standard elements include “pop-its”—small toys with bubbles that can be pushed in and out—providing satisfying sensory feedback. The team customizes designs for any age, gender, theme, holiday, or interest, ensuring each recipient receives something personally meaningful. With approximately 8-10 quilts completed monthly and each requiring about 23 hours of work, the process represents a significant time investment. Lohavanijaya and Keys conceptualize themes and layouts, while their volunteer team brings these visions to life through precise stitching and assembly, creating therapeutic art that engages multiple senses.
Growth and Community Connection:
What began as inspiration from a DAR magazine article in 2017 has blossomed into a substantial community initiative with nearly 500 completed quilts. The project gained significant momentum after Lohavanijaya’s personal experience with memory care facilities during her brother’s rehabilitation. During a fair for hospice caregivers at Tempe Post Acute Memory Care, the team distributed thirteen quilts, witnessing firsthand the impact of their work. Their efforts took on new meaning when they created a specialized quilt featuring the Norpack logo and fake frozen vegetables for a man with dementia who had worked for the company. His granddaughter reported it was “the first time in a long time he showed any spark of recognition”—a powerful testament to how personalized sensory stimulation can reach through cognitive barriers.
The ingenuity of these quilters extends beyond their stitchwork to solving real-world problems. When contacted by a desperate staff member at a memory care lockdown unit about a patient repeatedly pulling the fire alarm—thirteen times in one day—Lohavanijaya and Keys developed a creative solution. They fashioned a wristband that could be programmed with various alarm sounds, allowing the patient to satisfy his need to trigger alarms without disrupting the entire facility. This resourceful thinking demonstrates how the quilting project has evolved from simply creating comfort items to developing customized solutions for complex behavioral challenges, forging deeper connections between the quilters and the healthcare community they serve.
As the Ahwatukee quilting group continues its mission of stitching together comfort and healing, its impact ripples throughout the community. Each quilt represents not just hours of careful craftsmanship but a tangible expression of care for those facing physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges. Through buttons, textures, and thoughtful designs, these quilters are helping to mend hearts and minds—one stitch at a time.
Header Image Source: AI-generated image
