Community Service Update

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COMMUNITY SERVICE SEW-IN

Monday, August 4, 2025

Conley’s UM Church

9:00-2:00

Morning snacks provided; BYO drinks and lunch.

 

Come support our CS projects by cutting, pressing, sewing, trimming, packaging, creating, SOCIALIZING, and more, all for charity! **Each of our group’s tasks are listed below.

 

**SIGN UP: PLEASE SIGN UP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND in order for us to accommodate everyone. You can sign up for the group of your choice at the July meeting or by email to Marilyn White. mbwhite106@gmail.com.

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Angel Gowns-Melissa Sopko

Volunteers will cut and sew infant burial gowns. Fabric, ribbon, and patterns will be provided. Bring sewing machine, rotary cutters, shears, pins or weights, white thread and bobbin.

Duffle Bags and More- Mary Shepherd

Volunteers will cut fleece blankets with our supplies. Or use a kit to sew a duffle bag or toiletry bag. Bring sewing machine with an empty bobbin.

Heart Pillows- Carol Fisher Volunteers will cut out, sew heart shaped fabric with ribbon strap, stuff the pillows, and hand sew the opening. 2 sewing machines requested. Needles, thread, and scissors provided.

Pillowcases of Love-Sue Brittingham

Volunteers will cut fabric and prepare pillowcase kits. Cutters bring rotary cutter and 24” ruler. Eight (8) volunteers needed. **Prepared pillowcase kits will also be available for pickup to sew at home.

Quilts of Love-Pat DeVoll

Volunteers will sew baby quilts. Kits with pattern will be provided to make a 36x36 inch baby quilt. Nine rows of nine squares make each quilt. Bring thread and sewing machine.

Patriotic Quilts- Kathy Varga and Rita McConnell

Volunteers create blocks to be used to make Quilts of Valor. These are strip foundation pieced blocks (no paper piecing). Bring sewing machine and any red, white, or blue fabric scraps and strips at least 2” wide

 

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Learn More About Each Group...​​​

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​​​​​DUFFLE BAGS and MORE​

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About us: This group is a 501C3 organization that creates duffle bags and toiletry bags for children in foster care. It is funded from grants, donations, and fundraising events. Ocean Waves will be helping to promote the program through publicity and participation, coordinated by Mary Shepherd.  The project will be self-sustaining on our budget line.  Mary’s group meets once a month at the Village of Five Points Community Center to sew the bags. All supplies, including sewing machines and sergers, are provided.  We will highlight Duffle Bags and More at our October guild meeting. In addition, DB&M will participate in our February, 2025 Sit and Sew! Duffle Bags and More will be added to our Community Service webpage.  For more details, contact Mary Shepherd, mtshepherd@mindspring.com or www.dufflebagsandmore.org .

 

Activities:  We have 100 sets of duffle Bags and toiletry bags ready to deliver to Delaware Department of Family Services. We've started making fleece blankets for kids who need them, and they're easy to make.

Mary Shephard

 

Mark your calendars! The Ocean Waves' 2026 Sit and Sew (date to be determined) will be Duffle Bags and Toiletry Bags. We'll be doing all phases of bag construction, from cutting to bagging for delivery. If you have a serger sitting around collecting dust, please think about bringing it to the sew-in. You've got time before February to dust it off, and thread it.

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In addition to bags, we'll also make fleece blankets. These are fun projects for anyone who feels less confident about sewing a bag.

We'll have more details as we get closer to February. 

 

Our work parties are on the third Monday of most months, from 9-12 at the Villages of Five Points Community Center in Lewes. 

 

GUILD CONTACT: Mary Shepherd

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PATRIOTIC QUILTS 

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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. Check the newsletter and announcements at guild meetings for scheduled Sew-Ins and drop-offs.

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** Patriotic Quilts is looking for volunteers to quilt one or more quilts for Quilts of Valor.  If you can help, please contact Kathy Varga. kvarga07866@gmail.com.

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Activities:

*So far this year alone, Patriotic Quilts has finished 17 twin-sized quilts for donation to Quilts of Valor, along with 4 more tops that are still to be longarmed and bound.  These quilts were assembled from over 500 blocks made by our guild members. 

*Patriotic Quilts is an Ocean Waves only group, with all materials and labor provided by our members.  Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has participated in this wonderful effort!

*For your summer sewing pleasure... plenty of Floating Star block kits are available in fresh new fabrics at the Community Service table.  Take as many as you like, to sew on retreat or vacation.  If your Bee or group would like to make something special, see Kathy Varga or Rita McConnell for help with patterns, ideas and fabric.                                                                                                                   

Donations needed: Fabric - Red, white, blue solids or tone-on-tone fabrics are greatly appreciated - fat quarters, strips 8” or longer, yardage

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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:

We delivered 12 pillows to Cancer Support Group. We will be delivering 12 pillows per quarter. New kits for heart pillows will be available at the Guild meetings beginning in May. These new kits will only have the pre-cut heart fabric and strap to be sewn. No stuffing required at this time since that will be completed just prior to delivery. Carol Fisher

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Donations needed: No fabric needed for now.

GUILD CONTACT: Carol Fisher

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TINY TOTS - Baby Items

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About us:

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 exercise 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 exercise mats have been made.

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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. 

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Tiny Tots also donates items to St. Vincent de Paul.

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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 9AM to 1 PM.  It is supported by St. Ann’s Parish, Bethany Beach, DE, and Ocean Waves Quilt Guild.

 

All of the fabric and yarn used to make these items is donated.

 

Activities: *We delivered the following items to Rosa Health Center: 12 quilts with hats, 10 exercise mats, 12 sweaters with hats. *Also sent 6 twin quilts to Project Gabriel in Dallas, Texas. *We are in need of washable worsted weight yarn and baby yarn. Contact Mary Martinez

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Donations needed: We are in need of worsted weight yarn and fiberfill stuffing.  Fabric - Yarn, Baby Flannel and fleece, Adult fabrics 

                      

GUILD CONTACT: Mary Martinez