Vernon quilt shop lends a hand

Vernon — Ask anyone who knows Maureen Lasslett, owner of Pieceful Choices Quilt Shop, and they will all tell you the same thing: her heart is “always in the right place.” “My mother taught me everything I know about helping people in need,” said Lasslett, who owns and operates the shop along with her husband Jon, the sewing machine service and repair technician. “She was always giving of herself, even when she didn’t have much to give. Having the quilt shop enables me to reach a lot of people, and I’m always so grateful for the positive response whenever I do.” Since opening the shop in 2001, Lasslett has organized many events and promotions. A quilt block challenge in 2002 resulted in a pair of beautiful Christmas quilts, donated to Ginnie’s House for its Annual Fund Raiser Auction. Proceeds from the sale of a quilt pattern were donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Last year, in cooperation with Janome America, she collected more than 165 quilts and blankets for the Project Linus organization. She is running that same promotion now, with the official “Make a Blanket Day’ on Feb. 17, 2007. “I’m hoping to top last year’s amount of quilts and blankets, and we’ve already got a nice stack going,” says Lasslett. “The fact that you can win a new sewing machine just for helping a child in need is a nice motivator.” While attending the Harvest House Turkey Dinner fundraiser, Lasslett ran into a board member. When Lasslett found out about the soup kitchen’s candy drive, she asked for a couple of boxes to sell in her shop. “If you’re ever traveling down Route 94 in McAfee and you need a chocolate fix, you can make a pit stop at the quilt shop,” Lasslett notes. “We’re also accepting food donations, as well as cleaning supplies in for Harvest House until at least until the end of November.” Lasslett recently took time out of her busy day to sit with a group of Girl Scouts from Troop 999 in Vernon working on the Career Exploration segment of their “Artistic Crafts” badge. When she was asked if she’d be willing to be “interviewed” on what it’s like and what it takes to run a successful independent craft shop, Lasslett was happy to help. The quilt shop, at 99 Route 94 in Vernon, offers sewing and quilting classes, sewing machine sales and service. For more information, you can stop by the shop, call 973-823-9297 or visit them on the Web at www.piecefulchoices.com.