Jim Kotaska holds up the vibrant, vintage fabrics of his youth — ­­the very same fabric that his mother used to sew her maternity clothes, his father’s leisurewear, and his sisters’ blouses while growing up in North Dakota. Now some forty years later, the fabrics have found a new home. Carefully stitched together into six massive quilts, Jim’s work lays brightly across the beds of female patients at Mercy Care’s Recuperative Care program in Atlanta.

The tradition of quilting has passed down through the Kotaska family. Decades of memories sewn in and passed on to loved ones. Quilters in the family swap materials and finish each other’s projects. Years ago, Jim finished his great-grandmother’s quilts she started in the 1920s. “I felt a real connection with a family member I had never known,” Jim said.

When Jim’s sister, Victoria “Vicki” Idovich, passed away in February 2011, the stack of quilt blocks she had sewn over the years were tucked away. Later, her daughter passed them on to Jim in the hopes they could be finished. Since February 2019, he has worked to do that.

By happenstance, Jim came across a non-profit in Chamblee — the Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance (SEFAA), which was crafting quilts to donate to Mercy Care’s Recuperative Care programs for men and women. Recuperative Care provides a safe, healing place for those experiencing homelessness to stay after discharged from hospitals. Length of stay is typically stay 30 days and often life changing for those who have experienced abuse and loss of self-worth. Patients receive medical care, behavioral therapy, nutritious meals and case management to ensure proper healing and a good possibility of discharge into housing or back in the arms of family members.

SEFAA’s project struck a chord with Jim. His sister Vicki had been an advocate and ally for abused women. She even opened up her home as a safe house when needed. In her honor, Jim dedicated all of his and Vicki’s handstitched work to the women at Recuperative Care. “God kind of tells you when you’re supposed to step up and do something, and this felt like one of those moments,” Jim reflected. “I knew this was completing her vision.”

Jim made sure his hand-quilting complemented Vicki’s perfect stitching. “It felt like we were working together over the spans of time,” Jim said. “I wasn’t sure exactly who the recipients would be at Mercy Care, but I hoped they would find warmth and comfort from the quilts. When I was finished, I gave them over. I let go, and let God take it from there.”

In November 2019, Recuperative Care for women celebrated its first anniversary with High Tea. The event provided a stage for the women to dress up, sing, and share their stories of healing. Jim served the women tea and sandwiches and observed the home where the quilts now laid to rest.

“I was so moved by the ladies who spoke about their experiences and by seeing their relationship with the staff that supports them,” Jim said. “Though the event was for the anniversary of the center, the day was clearly about them and their wellbeing. I left knowing my sister would be happy. The quilts are right where they’re meant to be.”

With SEFAA’s donation of 29 quilts, women and men have their pick when they arrive at Recuperative Care. They also are encouraged to take the quilts with them when they move out. Thankfully, SEFAA will keep crafting their gifts of warmth.

“A quilt is a sign of caring, and a chance to reminisce.
I hope the ladies enjoy them and the future holds happiness for them.”
— Jim Kotaska