The scene at My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe today brought tears to my eyes more than once as a service project unfolded and goodness abounded. Even though it's a busy week-before-Christmas time, several dozen women came together to help the children of Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.
Here's an excerpt from the quilt shop newsletter that owner Kris sent out by email over the weekend.
"As you may have read in my weekly newsletter, we would like to help in some some, small, tangible way those children in Connecticut who have been through such a horrible tragedy this past weekend. I invite you to come into the shoppe anytime this Tuesday to participate in making a pillowcase to send there. Our goal is to help in the effort (with other quilt shops) of making 600 pillowcases. We will keep the shop open from 8 am to 8 pm to accommodate as many as possible who would like to help in this way. We will provide the fabric. You'll provide your time. Together, we can use this as a symbolic gesture of outreach, love and support."
The quilt shop owner Kris is in pink. When the shop opened she and her employees had already made hundreds of pillowcase kits so the project would move quickly.
Different stations were set up so the process went smoothly in assembly-line fashion. There were ladies who cut, sewed, pressed, trimmed, serged. and folded.
The "fun" room is the attic above the quilt shop - it's a wonderful workroom that's set up for groups and classes.
This is Elaine and Debbie - they cut fabric all day and put the pieces together to make the pillowcase kits. 1/2 yard for the body, 1/4 yard for the cuff, and 2 1/2 inches for the contrasting trim.
Me and my Bernina in a Janome and Babylock world.
When I left the shop at 4:30, there were 375 pillowcases finished. I'm sure the goal of 600 will be reached.
