South Kitsap resident Sharon Demianiw has organized a Cut, Sew and Serge Party to benefit American Patchwork Quilting Magazine’s Million Pillowcase Challenge starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bremerton’s Pacific Fabric Store, 4214 Wheaton Way.
I won’t be attending the event because the last time I took up a needle was to unskillfully sew on a button … in 1998.
I admire people who sew, like my late mother-in-law, who made clothing for the entire family. Demianiw, an avid quilter, and other members of the Port Orchard West Sound Quilt League apparently are of that ilk, and they’re sewing for a worthy cause. The magazine’s goal is that “sewers ( pronounced so-ers and not to be confused with waste disposal-type sewers) around the world will donate pillowcases hand made with love to their local charities totaling 1 million by January 2011.”
Numbers of donated pillowcases are reported to the official Web site allpeolequilt.com (all people but people like me, whose then-fiance once laughed out loud at a shirt I made for him, trying to follow in his mother’s footsteps). So far, they’ve logged 35,296 pillowcases.
“I couldn’t resist joining the challenge,” Damianiw said.
Better her than me. But you go girl!
“We are well on our way with no projected end date in mind. In fact, the project has taken on a life of its own with individuals contacting me to suggest the possibility of involving local high school students or quilters at Mission Creek Women’s Prison,” she said.
The group so far has completed 76 pillowcases and has assembled pillowcase kits ready for the making. They’ll use an assembly line process to step up production. The plan is to donate the pillowcases to a local woman’s shelter.
They are collecting pillows to go with the pillowcases, and are looking for other sewing groups to get involved. The Heirloom Quilt Shop in Poulsbo is a drop-off point for pillowcases.
If you want to join this serge of manic pillow-case crafting, show up at the event or call Pacific Fabrics at (360) 479-4214.
