The seamstresses at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Cecil have sewn themselves right out of a project.
“We’ve become proficient and quick,” Williams said.
They started sewing three years ago when they turned pillowcase into dresses to send to Haiti. They found out about the project from a friend who was already making them.
“We sent over 400 dresses to Haiti,” Maxine Williams said.
The dresses were taken to Haiti by the nonprofit group the Friends of Haiti on its mission trips.
Pictures of girls in their dresses were brought back to them. The women noticed something.
“We noticed a lot of little girls wore T-shirts under their dresses,” Williams said.
So they started making sundresses for the girls and shorts for the boys. They also made diapers out of gently used T-shirts and flannel.
Then the Haitian government stopped the import of sewn goods.
“They wanted their people to do it themselves to further their economy,” Williams said.
So they searched for a new project. Last year, they made feminine hygiene products for the state of Washington-based nonprofit group Days for Girls International, which distributes the items to countries throughout the world.
Wanting a new project, this year the club contacted Shawano Medical Center. They were asked them to make pillowcases for the hospice program. Another group had been making them.
“They are given to a hospice patient,” Williams said.
The Friends of Hospice provided material for the women, and some of the women purchased their own. St. Martin Council of Catholic Women also supported them with funds to purchase fabric and thread. The St. Martin group also provided postage when club members made items for Days for Girls International.
Once a month the women meet in the church hall. Some of the women bring their own sewing machines. Usually five sew and two cut the material. They have made over 150 colorful pillowcases in four sessions. They became so proficient they women worked themselves out of a project.
“We’re searching for a new project for the rest of the year,” Williams said. “We enjoy the creativity and the companionship.”
If you have a project to do with sewing, call Williams at 715-526-2813.
