Crafty Stitchers support Pike County Safe Haven

Wednesday, December 19, was open house at Pike County Safe Haven in Milford, PA.. Carol Haas, Gigi Lamanna, Vickie Kraus and myself, members of Crafty Stitchers neighborhood group, met together and delivered personal care bags we had made at one of our meetings. The bags were filled with personal care items donated by our group. We also donated a few blankets made by Carol, toys, clothing and food items. We had a chat with the staff and enjoyed refreshments provided by them. After Carol and I left Pike County Safe Haven, we made a quick stop at the new Beary Patches Quilt Shop in Milford. It was a very pleasant afternoon.

Marge Fuller, Crafty Stitchers NG

The Sewphisticuts go MaDD!

The Sewphisticuts go MaDD!

 The energy and camaraderie that I’ve come to expect at an ASG Sew-In was evident at the recent Sewphisticuts-sponsored Make a Difference Day event held at the Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall on October 27th.  This neighborhood group has sponsored an annual MaDD event since the group’s inception six years ago.  The event is open to both ASG members and the community at large.  The Poughkeepsie Plaza Mall has generously found space for our use for the past several years, and Sew ‘N Vac always provides tables and chairs.  The event is open to all ASG members and the public.

One of the many hats made that day

This year’s project was fleece hats and scarves to be given to Hudson River Housing.  Past year’s projects have included flannel pajama pants for the children’s cancer ward at Westchester Medical center, anti-ouch pouches for breast cancer patients at Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, pillow cases for area shelters, and baby bibs and blankets for the Young Mother’s program at the Poughkeepsie Children’s Home.

To make our membership stand out this year, Veronica Hill suggested we wear T-shirts with a slogan.  Maura Kristofik thought of the slogan “I’m Making a Difference today.  Sew can you!”  Joan Gadonniex digitized the slogan for embroidery machines adding “Hudson Valley NY Chapter Make a Difference Day” and the ASG logo.  Mary Dubois donated T-shirts and Connie Pennisi picked them up.  Linda Clark and Joan (I think?) handled the embroidery.  What a team effort!

Judy in one of the embroidered T-shirts

Cutting out more hats and scarves

Fourteen ASG members and 10 people from the community including 6 students (4 girls and 2 boys) from the Friends of Rachel club at Arlington High School pitched in to complete 171 hats and 59 scarves for a total of 230 items!  Ann Bierce did a great job of teaching some of the students to use a sewing machine while Mary Stiegler helped the boys cut out hats and fringe scarves.  Linda Clark showed her usual poise by doing a video clip for the Poughkeepsie Journal in a single take, while Connie Pennisi focused on her sewing for the photographs that were published in the next day’s paper. 

(Sue may not look it, but she really was having a good time!)

A good time was had by all and the Sewphisticuts thank everyone who participated for their contribution to another successful event. 

Some of our young helpers

Peggy Norton

Hudson Valley Chapter 2^nd VP  

T-shirt Challenge at October Meeting

The October meeting of the Garment Gals will feature the results of our t-shirt challenge.  In the June meeting we discussed and showed techniques for constructing a t-shirt.  In September's meeting Bonny showed the construction of a t-shirt, using an X-large size t-shirt as material.  She deconstructed the t-shirt and remade it to fit her.  Both sessions were intended to give members information necessary to construct our own t-shirt.  At the October meeting we will see the results and hopefully many varied and attractive garments.  We will also be looking to help make adjustments for those not happy with the fit of their t-shirt.  Since many will be doing this for the first time, we will go over any techniques about which members have questions.  At the end of the day, we hope all will be comfortable in the process of making a t-shirt.
Also we plan on hearing the topic for the month, making underpants.  Pat will give us tips and techniques to aquaint us with sewing lingerie.

Cutting, cutting, and more cutting.....that's what everyone did at the Sew-phisti-cuts meeting Wednesday night at Hobby Lobby.  Several ladies rolled in enormous amounts of fleece which everyone then proceeded to cut into appropriate-sized pieces for hats and scarves.  

All of this is preparation for Make-A-Difference Day, which falls on October 27th this year.  On that Saturday, members of the chapter will gather at an empty storefront in the Poughkeepsie Plaza to assemble all those fleece pieces into warm hats and scarves.  The finished items will then be donated to Hudson River Housing for distribution to those in need of warm accessories for the winter.

Here are two pictures of everyone hard at work - some folks are a little camera shy and didn't want to look up.....or maybe they were playing it safe; those rotary cutters are sharp!