Lou Gallo
Eagle River, Wisconsin
While caring for his mother-in-law in her later years, Lou spent many hours admiring her quilts and visiting quilt stores in the area surrounding her home. When she passed, Lou purchased a Gammill longarm quilting machine to help other quilters finish quilts and get them out to veterans, foster kids, and women needing a quilted hug. He completed more than 150 quilts for the Glendale Quilt Guild and the Valley Quiltmakers in his first year of owning a Gammill. Since recently moving to Wisconsin, Lou has begun to put quilts together for the local community senior center to help raise funds in their thrift shop and to donate to other needs. He also finishes wheelchair lap quilts and ‘preemie’ hospital quilts for the members of the Cranberry Country Quilt Guild and worked with ladies providing quilts to young women who have left human trafficking situations.
Lou likes to bring quilts alive with his thread color choices and patterns. He especially enjoys working with those who piece the quilts by giving them the opportunity to share their work and talents with others.
His wife, Evette, said that Lou is keeping busy and so is his machine, nicknamed "Gammie."
"What a wonderful way to pay-it-forward helping to provide a warm hugs to others through the giving of a quilt," she said.
