Ten thousand times in the last 10 years, Sun City’s Sew ‘N Sews members have practiced a tangible giving spirit.
They have cut, ironed, pinned, sewed, and bound quilts and blankets for seriously ill children and teenagers, and donated them to hospitals and similar facilities. They also have decorated fleece by crocheting around the edges. They have kept a careful count of how many blankets they have created, and next week they will reach 10,000. They have decided that this calls for a celebration.
Project Linus Quilt member Pat Hayes works on a new quilt. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
The observance will begin next Monday, July 6, at 10 a.m. in Drendel Ballroom at Prairie Lodge. At that time, the 15-year-old charter group will display the latest batch of blankets and afghans they have made. It will contain the 10,000th blanket. The display will be available for public view until noon.
On July 11, the group will bring the batch of 800 blankets and quilts to a Northbrook church. From there, the blankets will be distributed to various hospitals and shelters, two of which are Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village and Cumer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
Sun City’s Sew ‘N Sews was one of the first charter clubs formed in the community in 2000. It now numbers about 240 members. The club is a member of the North & Central Chicagoland Chapter of Project Linus, a national organization founded in Colorado in 1995 by Karen Louchs. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing security through homemade blankets.
The organization is named after Charles Schulz’ famous comic strip character Linus, Charlie Brown’s best friend, who carried his comforting blanket wherever he went (with his thumb stuck in his mouth, of course). The group now has chapters in 49 of 50 states.
One of the founding members of both the Sew ‘N Sews as well as the Project Linus group is Charleen Kelly, who also happens to be one of the first residents to move into Sun City in 1999.
“We started in Project Linus with 10 of us, and now we have about 35,” she said. “We devote most of our time in the Sew ‘N Sews to the Project. We meet in the sewing room in Prairie Lodge every Thursday to do our work. We are one of several sub-groups in the club that specialize in favorite projects or styles of sewing or knitting. Members of the Linus Knitting & Crocheting group also contribute afghans to the cause.”
“In addition to the 35 of us, there are 600 members of the Northbrook Chapter of Project Linus. Overall, the area group has made more than 116,000 blankets for needy children. We appreciate so much Charles Schulz’s permission to use the Linus label and name for this project,” said Kelly.
Kelly also said her group takes a batch of blankets several times a year to the Lutheran church in Northbrook where the chapter is headquartered.
“When we go there, we hear wonderful stories about families who thank us for the blankets given to their children,” she said.
Kelly also told the Sun Day a story she recently heard from Karen Louchs in Colorado.
“She said that after the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado in April, 1999, a local group in Project Linus took blankets to the school for the 24 injured victims. The school people reportedly put them aside and said they weren’t sure if they would be needed; but later, the victims and many others were seen huddled in them, they were so traumatized by the event.
“I also recently heard a story of a six-year-old child in the Chicago area who picked what he perceived as an especially ugly donated blanket, because he said it reminded him of his grandfather’s argyle socks.”
The Sew ‘N Sews occupy a room next to the Computer Club’s lab in Prairie Lodge.
“We originally had only half of this room, because the computer club had the other half,” Kelly said. “A few years ago, the computer club moved out of their half and the wall separating the two rooms was removed. Now we have more space for our tables and sewing machines, and we have two large closets for our fabrics, batting, patterns, and other equipment.”
Club members use the room Tuesday through Friday. They sew items for themselves, family members or friends, or for special project groups such as Project Linus. Eudice Germaine was the group’s first president, Rose Kundich is retiring as 2014-15 president, and Mary Henderson is the incoming 2015-16 president. The group finances much of its resources through the collection of $12 annual dues.
“My mother taught me to sew when I was young, and made a lot of my clothes, and I did the same thing with my six children,” said Kelly. “I made most of my kids’ clothes until it got to be cheaper for me to buy them store-bought things. This is true of the majority of our members. When I came to Sun City in 1999, the first thing I wanted to do was start a sewing group. When we began, we agreed we didn’t want to be called just a sewing club. So we discussed some options for catchier names and picked Sew ‘N Sews.”
“We were bringing our own fabric when we started, now, most of our stuff is donated,” said Kelly.
This is how the Sews ‘N Sews combine a hobby with a passionate, giving spirit. For the kids.
