Skilled quilters from St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Trexlertown, recently put the finishing touches on a special quilted tablecloth for Ron and Elsie Heist of Breinigsville.

The tablecloth honors the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 14, 2018.

Marie Rissmiller, Anne Mowad, Judy Ditch, Gloria Snyder, Judy Walker, and Elsie herself, used their skills to create the tablecloth and a bed quilt.

“The quilt all started in my mind years ago but I never thought we would celebrate 50 years, but as the years passed, it appeared we might reach this milestone,” Elsie Heist said.

Even before the bed quilt was an idea, Heist thought of something for the table.

“After the bed quilt and a wall hanging made of quilted material, leftover lace and a handkerchief from friend Agnes Hostettler’s trip to Ireland were completed in 2017, I allowed myself to think kitchen,” she said.

The tablecloth started when Heist and friend, Debbie Schmoyer, took a day trip to Lititz, Lancaster County.

“After having tea, we had the pleasure to experience several shops, one of which was Matthew 25 Thrift Shop, where I found quilt blocks with a heart design,” Heist said.

She found Battenberg lace at St. Paul’s UCC fall bazaar. Her friend, Karen Lilley cut the material squares and Heist designed and sewed each block.

“Crocheted lace my mother, Elsie Wanner Bradley, made when I was very young, and a handkerchief from Leslie A. McKinney, our 2016-17, Region 13A Deputy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania O.E.S. are quilted into the tablecloth,” Heist said.

Leftovers from the bed quilt, three sets of antimacassar sofa doilies from Ron’s mother, Stella, and pale pink embroidery floss completed the tablecloth.

Carefully preserved handkerchiefs, buttons and lace are incorporated into the bed quilt, including a Japanese square, one of the top squares.

“The Japanese square includes a handkerchief from friend Debbie Schmoyer representing her son, Jason, and his family in Japan,” Heist said. “The face lace and sash are from a bag of scraps given to me by friend Karin Lilley, and the silver button is from my mother’s collection of buttons. The large button is from neighbor and garden friend Ruth Roeder.”

The quilt also includes cream and yellow tatting from a handkerchief given to her by another friend, Elaine Lewis, as well as a pink “angel” handkerchief, which belonged to Lewis’ aunt, Janice P. Kuhn, and white lace from her actual wedding gown and a pearl to represent her wedding headpiece.

Heist met her future husband through friend, Joan Mumma, who was dating William English of Allentown.

“Our first date was a double date with Joan and Bill to the Glass Kitchen in Lancaster and miniature golfing,” Heist said.

After six weeks of dating, Ron proposed.

“I told her I wouldn’t marry her until I got back from Vietnam, in case I didn’t come back,” Ron told The Press.

The couple was married at St. Paul’s Union Church, Trexlertown.

They are the parents of a daughter, Angela.