Claudia Hermansen
For 25 years, there was a group of women in Tucson who taught children in elementary and high school to sew in a free, after-school program called Teens Sew Cool. Today that program is no longer, but many of their sewing kits have been donated to sewing groups in SaddleBrooke.
The Tuesday morning sewing group, The Sew & Sews, meets Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon in Room 4 of the SaddleBrooke One Craft Center. We are presently enjoying working on stuffed toy animals.
These will be donated as a charity project to groups that serve needy children. One large bag of 20 animals has already been given to the Pinal Sheriff’s Department for them to carry in their cars for children in need. More are in the works for AZ Children’s Services who serve foster children.
There are many other organizations in Tucson, such as Interfaith Community Services, fire departments, Casas Alites Migrant Center, and more, that would love to have the animals for children if we had more help to sew them.
This is an ongoing project between some of our other sewing groups, such as the Monday morning group Sew Busy Cut-Ups. So, come Monday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon and/or Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to noon. It is fun, and we always learn new ways to use our sewing machines, new skills, and enjoy each other! You can sew with us in the room or take kits home and sew at home.
We are in need of stuffing for the animals and one-yard pieces of non-stretchy fabric or fleece. If you have a lot of knit fabric, it also can be used once fusible stabilizer has been ironed on it. What a wonderful way to make that extra fabric in your stash make a child happy. For further information, call Judy Hans at 520-818-3285.