Church's Sewing Day helps those in need

For the past 51 years, Community Sewing Day at the Nokesville Church of the Brethren has been a place to meet new friends and spend time together while doing a project to help others.

About 30 women from various churches and civic groups gathered last week in the basement of the church to make lap robes for wheelchair patients -- just as they have done for the past five decades.

It is a beehive of activity throughout the day with the women running sewing machines, tying knots in the lab robes, sewing with their needles as squares of fabric fill tables in front of them.

Members of the church's Martha Early Circle piece the robe tops throughout the year from materials donated by church members or from the community. On Sewing Day, the tops are put together with a filler (when needed) and a piece of new material or sheet for backing and then the three pieces are knotted together with crochet thread and then the hems are pinned and sewn.

Throughout the day about 30 of the robes were completed and donated to patients in area nursing and veterans' homes in Washington and Richmond.

"We have a wonderful fellowship, chatting and working together to accomplish something that patients can use to keep them warm," said Mary Gough, president of the Circle which oversees the day's volunteer work.

Mariel Flory, 90, of Catlett, said "I've been coming for years. It's an enjoyable day and at the end you feel like you have really accomplished something."

Kathy Ricker of Catlett said "This is my first sewing day. I'm here today to carry on a tradition started by my mother, Gerry Ashley, who was a regular until she died last year. I'm finding it to be a wonderful outreach to the community."

Her sister, Brenda Hanna of Catlett, said this was her fourth year at the Sewing Day. She used to come with her late mother. Hanna said her specialty during the day was "binding the lap robes" adding that she finds everyone "happy and cheerful."

Mary Flory of Nokesville estimates she has been to just about every one of the past sewing days. "I always enjoy talking with the other women while doing a worthwhile project."

Gough said the efforts of the gathering has changed through the years. "We have made mastectomy pads for cancer patients. We made crocheted laryngectomy bids for the American Cancer Society. We made cloth stuffed animals that we gave to the rescue squads to be used to comfort trauma victims such as the aftermath of a wreck or fire. We have made comforters for shelters for those in need."

Despite the dwindling number of participants in recent years (formerly upwards of 100), Gough feels the day will continue long into the future.

'We enjoy filling a need and want to continue to make things to help others," she concluded.

Staff writer Bennie Scarton Jr. can be reached at 703-369-6707.