Crafting with care: church members make the most of personal hobby
Susan Jacob constructs diapers at the Floyd County Extension Office workspace in early December. A small group of Trinity United Methodist women have several ongoing projects up their sleeves to benefit charities, both local and abroad. Press photos by Kate Hayden
Sharon Schneider works on several fidget mats that will be given to residents in local memory care units. The maps have active features, like zippers, texture and small stuffed animals, attached that a user can play with to keep the hands active.
Nancy Lorenzen cuts out fabric as she works on receiving blankets, to be included in birthing kits sent abroad to residents in countries like Haiti.
The diapers group members like Susan Jacob work on have several layers of fabric in the center, designed to be durable and last through hundreds of hand-washes.
By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com
A group of around six or so women meet once a month at the Floyd County Extension office. They tote in their own supplies, but they like the Extension because of the space it gives them to work.
“It’s got good lighting and black tables that you can work and spread out on,” Susan Jacob said as she sewed a cloth diaper.
They must churn out hundreds of yards of projects over time: nearly all the projects finished by the members of Trinity United Methodist Church are donations, sent anywhere from a Floyd County nursing home to hospitals and medical missions in Haiti.
“We all like to sew, and we’re all crafty, so it’s a way to indulge in our hobby and know it’s for a worthwhile project,” Jacob said.
Most of the patterns they use are associated with the Midwest Missions Distribution Center, a Chatham, Illinois-based Methodist nonprofit. The center is one of seven nationally that collect supplies for hundreds of layette, birthing, school and personal care kits that go abroad or to disaster locations.
The need is endless: every birthing kit shipped abroad by the United Methodist Committee on Relief needs six cloth diapers and two receiving blankets. The handmade diaper pattern includes extra padding to be more durable for insecure housing situations.
“It takes a lot of diapers” to fill the kits, Jacob said. “If you’re washing them on a rock, they’re pretty durable.”
Members of Trinity United Methodist Church have cut out more than 500 rolls of fabric swatches for school bags since the 2016 summer months.
“We have quite a few of them bagged up at the church with instructions, five bags in a sack, and if people would like to help make those it’s just straight stitching and attaching the handles,” Jacob said.
There is no shortage of projects people can pick up patterns for: patterns for the two types of school bags, two types of hospital gowns with shorts that a Haitian hospital sends home with children, and blankets for the birthing/layette kits distributed abroad.
“You know that it’s worthwhile,” Jacob said. “It makes you feel really good that the stuff that you worked on is going where it’s needed.”
Group member Sharon Schneider has a project destined for local residents as well — she’s attempting to make up several dozen fidget mats for local nursing homes and memory care units. The mats let a user explore zippers, socks, a Beanie Baby or other small touches that keep hands busy.
All the supplies are paid for by the United Methodist Women Crafters, who get together every Monday afternoon to make greeting cards. The cards are sold for $1.50. In 2016, the group raised $560, which went to supplies and other mission projects.
On the last Friday of each month, a group of church members also knit and crochet prayer shawls for members of the community. Anyone who would like a prayer shawl can contact Karen Cutler at the church, 641-228-5368.
“We’d love to have more people come and join us,” Jacob said.
#FLOYDCOUNTYGIVES
Do you know an individual or group donating time and talents to their community? Is there a story of giving that hasn’t been shared?
Contact reporter Kate Hayden through December by email or Twitter (@xkatehayden) with suggestions. Let’s share the good news of what our friends and neighbors are doing this year!
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