Curves quilt reflects bond, By FAYE WHITBECK, Staff Writer

Special quilt remembers Margo Hell, celebrates women’s friendship

The giant and brilliant quilt that now hangs on the wall at Curves in the International Mall is a colossal work of art, as well as a conversation piece for the members who go there for their regular workouts.
But what the quilt represents is much more than that, says owner and manager Becky Olson. The warmth and the detail of the colorful king-size creation also symbolizes the bond and the intimacy of which many of the women who attend Curves have come to enjoy and rely.
Each of the dozens of squares on the quilt made by the hands of member Leeana (Servis) Hasbargen, is one-of-a-kind and each square is made from a Curves T-shirt supporting different events and celebrations since the center’s opening in 2001.
Dominating the design and positioned in the center is the T-shirt that celebrates Curves member, the late Margo Hell, who died last spring from cancer. Hell had been a member for about five years and shared her illness with her friends at Curves. The shirt was worn by fellow members who supported her in the annual Relay for Life event, by the Curves team that represented her struggle.
“When I went to Leeana and asked her to make the quilt (based on an idea she had seen in the Curves publication “Diane”), Margo was still alive and putting that shirt in the center was a priority,” said Olson. “Now that the quilt is finished and she has passed away, it is even more special. Everyday, her shirt is there shining on us. Leeana did a beautiful job.”
The quilt is subtly top-stitched with “Curve words” and special messages. It also boasts squares featuring “Icebox of the Nation” and a tie-died shirt that was fringed in order to fit Olson’s growing belly during a pregnancy. Different members brought in a variety of shirts that they had worn.
Curves members who work the exercise circuit everyday at the center need only glance up for a bold and cheerful reminder of the friendship that is offered there. Olson summed it up this way:
“What this quilt is really all about is that exercise isn’t the only reason that these women come together.”