It has been decades, a half-century even, since these women had young children. Many of them now are grandmothers, some great-grandmothers.
But the women in the Friday morning quilting club at Belmont’s Beech Street Center have spent the last few months creating colorful covers for kindergartners who live half a world away. Over the winter, they decided to turn their efforts toward a new kindergarten in Hnaberd, a remote village in the Republic of Armenia.
“The amazing part of it is not a one of them is an Armenian,’’ said Richard Boyajian, a retired barber from Quincy whose nonprofit foundation helps communities in Armenia. “This transcends different nationalities because people just want to help.’’
The seniors began sewing the quilts for the Armenian children after they heard Boyajian and others who were working to launch the kindergarten speak about the school. The kindergarten was created partly to help parents in Hnaberd, an agrarian village, earn more money working in the fields.
“For the parents to be more financially productive in an economically and socially depressed area, the kids need to be in school all day,’’ said the Rev. Joanne Gulezian Hartunian, who first spoke to the group about the quilt project. “But they can’t be in school all day without naps.’’
And to take naps, the children need blankets. That’s where the Belmont quilters come in. Many of them are in their 70s and 80s, and a few are in their 90s. So far, they have made about eight quilts and hope to create 20. Boyajian’s nonprofit raises money that buys the fabric for the women to choose from; they cut out the patchwork pieces and stitch them together.
Among the quilters are Madeline Kelley, 98. One recent Friday, she sat along one end of the table before a plate with a frosted doughnut, and beside her was longtime friend Genevieve Priest, 91, whom everyone calls Gennie. The two Belmont residents have known each other so long it’s hard to remember when they first met.
“We took a fabric art class years ago, when that artist came to Belmont,’’ said Priest, who was sitting in a wheelchair, breathing with the help of oxygen tubes. “We made these wall hangings of whatever we wanted. I even used my wedding gown material. And you did, too, Madeline.’’
“Yeah?’’ Kelley says.
“You remember; we went to the library. We took classes at the library, before we had a senior center even,’’ Priest says. She adds: “So I’ve known Madeline a long time.’’
“Oh, a long time,’’ Kelley agrees.
The Friday morning group, where women also work on their own projects and have donated quilts to other nonprofits, can attract more than a dozen women each week. Liz Malsky, one of the volunteers who helps newcomers learn the craft, started quilting after a close friend was showing her old family quilts.
“She said to me very wistfully, ‘But I can’t do it,’ ’’ Malsky said.
The two women decided to take an adult education class on quilting, and both got addicted. Now Malsky makes quilts for the Concord Piecemakers Guild, whose community-service arm donates them to homeless shelters, cancer patients, and others.
“The women have been wonderful because they have passed on this craft, so we can pay it forward,’’ said Gulezian Hartunian.
Richard Boyajian, 71, created the Boyajian Memorial Foundation in memory of his brother, Nish, who died of cancer in 1995. He has helped raise money for playgrounds, scholarships, health education programs and other services for Armenians, especially those in rural areas of the country.
Boyajian was in Armenia when his mother died in 2009, and he soon had an idea for his foundation’s next project, a tribute to her. In the town of Hnaberd, an old school building had fallen into disrepair. Although volunteers had built a new school, there was no kindergarten.
“I said, ‘You know what, if they’ll name this after her, we’ll try to raise money and repair this building and get it up to a kindergarten and community center,’ ’’ he recalls.
So began the Mary Boyajian Parechanian Kindergarten. Boyajian wanted to use his mother’s maiden name, since their last name was already attached to playgrounds that his group has created.
Boyajian is traveling to Armenia next month, and will take the finished quilts with him.
Kathleen Burge can be reached at kburge@globe.com. 
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.
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