Our Community Service Projects
2023
Anything Sews: In August, our members made 47 placemats for Meals on Wheels.
Creative Sassy Sewers: Our NG members have donated nearly 300 hours in Jan and Feb this year alone. We have made 32 Zipper Ditty Bags, 16 Draw String Bags, 65 NICU Scent Hearts, 5 NCU Crochet hats, 6 Nursing Home Caddies, 6 Walker Bags, 1 Crochet baby afghan, 3 Rag Quilts and 22 Angel Gowns with a total of 16 Recognition of Life Certificates. In Sep they hosted a Sew Along making fitted sheets and scent cloths for SMH NICU.
Pins & Needles: Made and filled over 100 Ditty Bags for Hope Family Services.
Sew Chic: In September, our members made wheelchair and walker bags for Hospice from kits we had prepared earlier.
FROM SMH: Thank You to the following ladies who’ve been generous with their time in to sewing and knitting for Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Ruth F and Lou B have sewn MANY scent cloths, and Linda B and Peg T have contributed adorable hats, Peg including tiny mitts with her hats. The NICU staff are very appreciative!
FROM Fiber Arts Group: Thank You for donating 5 sewing machines to our group.
Chapter Community Sew (by Jackie P; published in newsletter)
A special Thank You to all who make this a successful event to benefit Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Thanks to the 19 ladies who attended the event, our Chapter completed 46 NICU fitted sheets and over 80 scent cloths for use with NICU babies. Some members also took home fabric to complete sheets and scent cloths, so even more are on the way. These items will be greatly appreciated by the staff and parents of babies in Sarasota Memorial Hospital's NICU.
Thanks to Kathleen Heinicke for her input and help in planning and running the event. We're grateful to Quilter’s Haven in Palmetto for providing fabric at cost for the fitted sheets and to Chapter members for donating stash fabric for the sheets (Barbara VanBuren and her neighbor, Debbie Chegwidden and Kathleen Heinicke). And thanks to all you wonderful ladies who attended, including a non-sewing friend who helped with finishing scent cloths. What a caring group! There are so many members who don't receive recognition for all the charity sewing they do; the Chapter is fortunate to have you representing us.
A special thank you goes to Linda Bynum, who made 14 baby hats, 2 baby blankets, 2 baby afghans and 18 fitted sheets for NICU ahead of the community sew event.
2022
In Sep we made walker bags and other items for Meals on Wheels and Scent Cloths for SMH NICU.
From Nov 2022 newsletter: We had two successful community sews with about 100 walker bags sewn for local nursing homes, heart cloths for the NICU unit at Manatee Memorial and additional walker bags, foley bag covers and wheelchair bags for Hospice patients. Our northern community sew was held at the South Manatee Branch Library in Bradenton during the usual meeting of Creative Sassy Sewers. Our southern community sew was held at the Shannon Staub Library in Northport during the usual meeting of Sew Chic and was cut short due to weather so members took home items to complete. I want to thank all of you for supporting each other and supporting our community sew events. I know
most of you also sew for other charities as well. I want to
especially commend Kathy Pell, Kathleen Heinicke, Paulette
Braga, Lou Burns, Evelyn LeVasseur, Jackie Pettit and Nancy
Ceci for their organization and leadership of the community
sews. Both were outstanding events.
Happy Sewing.
Lorraine
Chapter President
2021
Members made wheelchair and walker caddies, fidget mats, small pillow covers, journal covers, foley bag covers for Tidewell Hospice.
They made cotton flannel receiving blankets for Healthy StartSarasota and did costume sewing and alterations for Circus Arts Conservatory in Sarasota.
They also knitted and crocheted newborn hats for Manatee Memorial Hospital NICU/newborn units .
2020
We kicked off the year in style at Waldemere on January 15, 2020 during our Chapter's Community Service Sew Along
We made dog beds, neck scarfs and bags to donate to the Charlotte County Humane Society. Many brought their sewing machines and equipment and enjoyed a day of sewing for homeless Animals. Those without machine, helped to cut and iron fabrics.
2020 Community Service Awards: Sandi Dickenson, Donna Lindquist, Eva Winter and the members of Pins & Needles NG.
2019
In 2019 we sewed 527 needed item for 20 different charities. Our 113 members reported donating 5960 hours In community service sewing. We were very thankful to recieve fabric and notions from 17 local donars.
2019 Community Service Awards: Glenda Blomquist, Marie Gartley, Donna Lundquist, Kathy Pell, Lorraine Potter, Donna Verstrate, Eva Winter
2018
In 2018 our Chapter Members reported nearly 4,000 hours crocheting newborn hats, sewing baby blankets, children's clothing, totes, quilts, clothing protectors and Christmas stockings. The following organizations benefitted:
1. St. John Methodist Church
2. St. Thomas More Catholic Church
3. Lutheran World Relief / Emmanuel Lutheran Church
4. Oak Park School
5. Homeless Shelter / Missionary Needs
6. Safe Children’s Coalition
7. Christmas Stocking for Military / Blue Star Mothers
8. Sarasota Memorial NICU / OB Unit
9. 4-H Sewing School
10. Linus Project of Charlotte County
11. Gulf Cove Methodist Church
12. KIDZ Quilts
2018 Community Service Awards: Brenda Broadbent, Kathy Pell, Shirley Spisak, Barbara VanBuren, Eva Winter
Using Sewing Talents for Others
Oak Park School Clothing Protectors
Bibs for Oak Park Kids
Big Kid yardage needed- try to use kid friendly material
1-yard main fabric- front and back -100 % cotton
1-yard cotton flannel- hidden layer- makes 4 inner layers
2-3-inch piece Velcro fastener
Fabric listed will yield two Big Kid bibs. ½ inch seam allowance is included.
Adult size bib
1-yard main fabric- makes one bib
1-yard cotton flannel-hidden layer makes two inner layers
3-inch piece Velcro fastener
Sewing Instructions- ½ inch seam allowance
1. Cut out pattern pieces: Cut one front, one hidden layer and one backing piece and one neck piece for each.
2. Using ½ inch seam, sew the neck piece to each of the front, back and flannel pieces. Finger press seam open.
3. Layer the front right side up, next the back, right side down and the flannel on top.
4. Pin the layers together. Stitch all the way around, leaving a 3-inch opening in the bottom for turning.
4. Trim seam allowances around each curve to a scant ¼ inch before turning.
5. Turn through the opening. Push all the curves and corners out neatly and press.
6. Top stich all the way around at ¼ inch.
7. Center the soft piece of Velcro on the neck piece about an inch from the end. Sew around twice. Sew the rough piece of Velcro on the rounded portion of the bib. Center about 1” down. Stitch around twice. The neck of the Big kids Bib should be about 4-1/2” straight across. The Adult size should be about 7 ½”.
CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS FOR DEPLOYED TROOPS
We sewed up 274 stockings for military in service in 2018!
2017
Our members made Wish Pillows for "Give Kids the World" at the Gulf Gate Library in 2017. We brought sewing machines, fabric and notions and the project came together under the guidance of Paulette Braga.
Give Kids The World is an experience that takes many words to express. The brave parents and their amazing children share more joy in a day than most people experience in a life time by ensuring that every venue, activity and villa fully accommodates all of our precious guests. From The Park of Dreams pool to The Garden of Hope pathways, everything at our whimsical Village is wheelchair accessible. ASG members are sewing up these sweet wish pillows and praying that all of their wishes could come true.
2016
Our Chapter sponsored a Community Service 2016 Chapter Charity Sew Along at the Selby Library in Sarasota in August by sewing Rare Bears for kids!
Member's of Sew Whats New met at the Fruitville Library each month to sew up KiDZQuilts for children surviving disasters. Our Venice members worked with a residential facility in Englewood to sew up Little Dresses for Africa and piece together quilts for Project Linus during February/March.
We hosedt ASG promotional and demonstration booths at the Manatee County and Sarasota County Fairs and at the Manatee Village Historical Park festivals.
Each of our Neighborhood Groups also sewed for local area charities.
For the year 2016 our Chapter Members reported over 1500 hours, 824 items sewn and donated nearly $500 dollars to complete community service projects.
In 2015 our Chapter Members reported 3,250 hours donated, 942 sewn items donated and $293 donated out of pocket for materials.