Ocean Waves Quilt Guild, Inc.
Lewes, DE
Community Service Projects:
2021 Sew-In
From our perspective and from the feedback we’ve received, the 2021 Community Service Sew-In was a huge success! Considering just a few months back, this event was in jeopardy of cancellation, we couldn’t be happier with the results. We had over 70 guild volunteers cutting, sorting, sewing, stuffing, ironing, and shopping!
Without a doubt, being back together and catching up with friends was the best outcome! There was ample spacing and everyone seemed to feel comfortable. And we were thrilled to finally meet some members that had joined the Guild during the pandemic. Please see the Newsletter for all the accomplishments of the day and all the wonderful people that worked hard to make it happen.
PATRIOTIC QUILTS
About us: This service project group organizes and leads productions of patriotic themed quilts to be donated to the Quilts of Valor Foundation. (qovf.org) “The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing QOV.” The procedures for making these quilts are specific.
Activities: At the National Quilts of Valor "Sew In At Home Day" on February 6, there were 34 participants from our guild! A total of 296 blocks were completed, some folks made more than the required 8 blocks. Some people donated quilts, quilt tops and fabric. Thanks to all for your support.
As of today's date 5 quilts have been made with the blocks. Kathy Varga and Rita McConnell have been sewing the tops. They are looking for help sewing quilt tops only! No quilting required! If you would like to help, please contact either Kathy, kvarga07866@gmail.com or Rita, rbiser8288@gmail.com .
Our tally for the year is 10 completed quilts and 5 quilts awaiting quilting by QOV volunteers.
One of our quilts was awarded on March 29th to a VFW member, a vet from the Vietnam war!
GUILD CONTACT: Rita McConnell
HEART PILLOWS
About us: Pillows are given to patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Kits, assembled and ready to be sewn, are available at the Ocean Waves Quilt Guild monthly meetings.
The pillows are donated to the following organizations: Cancer Support Community of Delaware
Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition
Beebe Healthcare - Tunnel Cancer Center
Beebe Rehab
Dr. Spellman's office
Nanticoke Memorial Hospital - Allen Cancer Center
Activities: According to Carol Fisher, she has 48 heart pillows on hand, ready to be distributed. She says things seem to have slowed down after the rush when Tunnel started doing surgeries again after the Covid shutdown. 6 pillows were delivered in April.
GUILD CONTACT: Carol Fisher
TINY TOT'S - Baby Items
About us: February marked the 10th Anniversary of Tiny Tots!
Tiny Tots was started in February, 2010 with 12 ladies from St. Ann’s Bazaar Workshop. Today it has 50 members and is still growing. Tiny Tots makes quilts, hats, blanket and sweater sets, teddy bears, nursing covers, and floor mats for the Rosa Health Center in Georgetown, DE. To date, over 4,000 quilts, 500 blanket and sweater sets, 2,000 teddy bears, and 200 floor mats have been made.
The Rosa Health Center takes care of infants thru adults. The Center is absolutely free to whoever cannot afford medical help. Dr. Rama Peri runs the Center.
Tiny Tots meets at St. Ann’s Church, Delaney Hall, in Bethany Beach on the 4th Tuesday of each month (except December, July, and August) from 10 AM to 2 PM. It is supported by St. Ann’s Parish and Ocean Waves Quilt Guild. All of the fabric and yarn used is donated.
Now doing nursing covers (pattern for DIY Nursing Covers)
Activities: Mary Martinez reports delivering the following items on July 6th to Rose health Center: 5 burp clothes, 6 exercise mats, 24 baby quits with hats, 6 handmade sweaters sets, and 25 stuffed bears.
GUILD CONTACT: Mary Martinez
BABY WRAPS
About us: This group makes baby quilts exclusively for Nanticoke Hospital. Members meet to sew and quilt once a week at the Heritage Shores Community Center. Over the past 3 years, 425 quilts have been made and donated.
Activities: According to Darlene Jack, Baby Wraps picked up 40 pillowcase kits and 8 teddy bear kits from the Sew In. As reported in last month’s newsletter, the group had a mini quilt show at Heritage Shores Clubhouse in Bridgeville, where the baby quilts were on display the month of July. All quilts from the show were given to charity. Baby Wraps also donated 12 quilts to Fisher House in Dover and 50 quilts to the Baby Pantry in Georgetown.
GUILD CONTACT: Darlene Jack
QUILTS OF LOVE
About us: the group’s primary mission is to make baby quilts for newborns at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital. Quilt donations are also made to Kody’s Comfort Quilt Project at A I DuPont Children’s Hospital and the Harry K Baby Pantry. Larger quilts are made and given to Milford Housing Development and Habitat For Humanity when new home owners move in. Aids Delaware is given quilts when patients are in need. Quilts of Love holds quilting bees 5 times during the year in September, November, January, March, and May. Kits are assembled and ready to be sewn. The location varies so listen at OWQG meetings or read the newsletter. Quilts of Love sews from 9AM to 1:30PM. Bring your sewing machine and a covered dish.
Activities: Quilts of Love will have the first in-house quilting bee since January 2020. It will be at St. Jude the Apostle Church on Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 9 am to 1pm. If you have not been vaccinated please wear a mask. The room is large enough to maintain social distancing. If you are uncomfortable meeting in the social hall we will put some kits and batting outside for you to pick up and sew at home. Bring your machine and a dish to share for lunch. Hope to see you. It’s been a long time. Questions? Call Jan at 287-9323.
GUILD CONTACT: Pat DeVoll
THE GLADE QUILTERS
About us: The Glade Quilters meet each Tuesday from 9 AM to 12 noon at the Glade Clubhouse to design, assemble, and sew quilts for babies, children, and adults. Its workshop includes cutting tables, sewing machines, and a fabric room. The Glade Quilters donates to the following organizations:
Bay Health Hospital in Milford and Dover
Sussex County Women's Shelter
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Baby Pantry (resource center)
Project Sweet Peas
Kody’s Kids Reading Group (started by Phillip Brown)
Renaissance Nursing facility
Cape Henlopen Senior Center at Christmas
Cape Henlopen High School homeless students
YMCA (for the homeless of Rehoboth)
The Glade Quilters also provides quilts to several organizations which have fundraisers during the year, such as Stockings for Soldiers and Ducks Unlimited.
Activities: The Glade Quilters picked up 12 pillowcase kits from the Sew In for the group to complete.Terry Cassanelli reports just delivering 12 quilts to the Baby Pantry. The group has 12 more quilts ready to be picked up by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
GUILD CONTACT: Terry Cassanelli
ANGEL GOWNS
Angel Gowns - Infant Burial Gowns
Our guild members will sew infant burial gowns from bridal dresses. We have
the patterns for the members to use. The need is approximately 50 per year.
The burial gowns will be distributed to Christiana Cares and A. I. DuPont Children's Hospital.
Every year there continues to be a need for infant Angel Gowns (burial gowns). Please consider sewing one (or more) of these gowns from a simple two-piece pattern. Any white fabric is suitable, and you may add trimmings as you wish. The families of the infants are most appreciative.
The project coordinator is Dr. Shelly Hopkins
GUILD CONTACT: Melissa Sopko
Baby Burial Gown Basic Sewing Instructions
Large Burial Gown Pattern.pdf, Medium Burial Gown Pattern.pdf, Small Burial Gown Pattern.pdf, Micro Preemie Gown Pattern.pdf.
Large Vest Pattern.pdf, Small and Medium Vest Pattern.pdf
FRIENDS OF THE FALLEN
About us: Teddy bears are given to children attending the Transfer Ceremony at Dover Air Base for a fallen family member. SEAs the Day, and Families of the Fallen are also supported. As of Sept 2019 - 3,047 teddy bears have been made and distributed.
Teddy Bear pattern is in two parts as a PDF file, which you can access by clicking on its underlined name.
• Teddy Bear: Upper Body Pattern, Lower Body Pattern, Updated Instructions
Print the pattern and join the two sections
Transfer the pattern to freezer paper
Hint - freezer paper can be ironed on material many times, instead of pinning each time to the material.
Activities: Marcia Bonifas is happy to announce that she now has ready-to-Sew Teddy Bear Kits available! The kits will be on a table on Marcia’s porch for now. Please return them to this same place when you’re finished. If more stuffing is needed, leave the opening undone. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to call. Marcia’s phone number and address are in the Guild Roster or send her an email.
GUILD CONTACT: Marcia Bonifas
PILLOWCASES OF LOVE
Pillowcase Kits, containing the necessary fabrics, are available at meetings. Members take Kits home, sew, and return them at a later meeting. The Committee launders, irons, and attractively packages each individually.
Donations are made to diverse community groups such as AI DuPont Children’s Hospital, Bayhealth Medical Centers, People’s Place, Home of Hope, Fresenius Dialysis Centers, and Children and Families First. Other groups are under consideration and members’ suggestions are welcomed.
GUILD CONTACT: Sue Brittingham
• Pillowcases of Love Instructions
Our work is Award Winning!
The Glade Quilters are one of the many Community Service Groups of Ocean Waves Quilt Guild.
The Glade Quilters received a Governors Outstanding Volunteer Award Oct. 29, 2019 at an annual dinner at Dover Downs. For more than 18 years, the Glade Quilters have provided 4,500 quilts to local community organizations as well as directly to those in need in Sussex and Kent countie
Glade Quilters with the Govenors Outstanding
Volunteer Award (photo D. Vuono)