PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Joyce Belfour followed two of her interests during the pandemic and discovered a third opportunity: to help others.
Belfour loves to spend time at Atlantic National Golf Club with her friends from the LPGA Amateur Golf Association. She discovered the sport was a great social option with natural social distancing.
“With, you know, family, you need an outlet,” she said.
As her golf game improved, she also taught herself to quilt using YouTube videos and creativity.
“Fell in love right away with the ability to take a piece of fabric and create something,” she explained.
The two hobbies intersected when she started making quilted items to personalize her clubs and those of her friends. Then, she created her own pattern for personalized golf cart seat covers for hot days, which became a big hit.
“One of the quilts is for a husband wife, the wife loves golf. So one side is golf. The other side is their Ohio State, you know,” she explained, flipping one of the pieces over to reveal a different fabric.
Her friend, golfer Angie Niehoff, was impressed.
“I think you have to say she's blossomed,” Niehoff said.
Belfour started donating her work to the charitable efforts of her golf friends.
“And that's what makes it so special. I mean, they're, they're priceless. They're unique. And it's something that's not only it's tangible as well,” Niehoff said.
Belfour has donated one quilted project after another to fundraisers, finding fulfillment in a new way.
“Now, I find that there's just so much more gratification, giving it and knowing that it's going to benefit somebody else,” she said.
Belfour has two sisters who are also crafters. She says in 2022, the three plan to set up a site on Etsy, and all proceeds from their work will go to charity.