Quilters
Guild of Dallas presents Quilt to
"Crimes Against Children" Unit
of Federal Bureau of Investigation
Each year, the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center sponsors a "Crimes Against Children Conference." During the 2000 conference, agent Michael Heimback, the Unit Chief of the "Crimes Against Children Unit," toured the DCAC offices in Dallas. Struck by the brightly colored quilts and toys that decorate the Center and the way they made it a much more "child friendly" place, he expressed a desire to have a similar quilt to hang in the unit offices at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. As he describes it, the offices are very stark with large expanses of white walls.
From left: A representative
of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center,
Guild member Marcia Shurtleff, Chief Michael Heimbach, another FBI agent,
and Guild President Frances Hafer with the "FBI Quilt."
What guild could resist a request like that!
The Board approved financing the project and Guild member Marcia Shurtleff, one of the most prolific "Covers for Kids" quilters in the guild, who was responsible for many of the quilts hanging at the DCAC offices, agreed to take charge of the project. (The Dallas Children's Advocacy Center is one of the beneficiaries of the guild "Covers for Kids" project.)
Assisted by DCAC staff members, Marcia had some of the children at the Center draw pictures that would be used as the primary elements in the quilt. She ironed the drawings onto fabric, then pieced the top. Also included in the quilt are two clear acetate pockets where photos of missing children can be placed - and changed at regular intervals to keep the quilt "current". There is also one of the official "Crimes Against Children Unit" patches that unit members wear on their uniforms.
Chanttell Nuttall of Linda's Electric Quilters did the exquisite long-arm quilting for the quilt, and Guild member Rhonda Anderson designed and printed the commemorative label on the back.
The quilt was presented to Chief Heimbach by Guild President Frances Hafer and its' maker Marcia Shurtleff during a special reception high atop Reunion Tower at the 2001 Crimes Against Children Conference.
Scroll down the page to see more photos of the quilt and the presentation.
Quilts were very much in evidence at the conference. As well as the "FBI Quilt," the DCAC also hosted the "Child Abuse Quilts" exhibit curated by Mary Beth Goodman of New York. Conference attendees were very touched by the emotions that all of these works of art express.
Above: Marcia (left) and Frances (center) unveil the quilt for presentation.
Above: The whole quilt.
Above: Marcia (center) talks with Chief Heimbach (left) and another agent about the quilt.
Above: The official patch of the unit.
Above: The label created by Guild member Rhonda Anderson.
Following are photos of the Child Abuse Quilts also on display during the conference.
