Spotlight on Stitching

Indiana EGA Group Teaches Kids to Stitch at Camp Quality

Marjorie Holme, an active stitcher and EGA member recently told me about an inspiring experience she and her fellow EGA members had with a very special organization, Camp Quality. Camp Quality helps bring joy to children who suffer from cancer. As Marjorie explained to me, "Each child has a full-time companion who is with them for the entire week. The Camp Quality we attend is held for one week, once a year. The kids participate in lots of activities from helicopter rides, swimming, and other activities, to of course, our favorite, stitching!"

According to Marjorie, this year's project was a big hit--the children liked that it allowed for their own creativity. The EGA provided partially stitched felt book covers, journals (some kids began writing in their journal immediately), a variety of Halloween felt shapes that were precut, some themed buttons, threads, and a needle. Armed with this variety, the children could embellish their journal books any way they wanted and EGA members were there to guide them and help them get started. One stitcher, an older boy, cut his name out of the extra felt and stitched it on his cover.

This is about the 7th year her EGA taught at this special camp, which sad to note has a waiting line for sick children to attend. Many of the stitchers were repeaters and were experienced stitchers. Participants were about 50-50 boys and girls.

Even though not every child stitched the project while there, Marjorie pointed out that each child went home with a kit. And what the kids most seemed to kook forward to were the certificates they were handed after they completed their stitched book cover.

In Marjorie's own words:

"All of us who visited Camp Quality had a blast!  The felt book cover project was deemed "the best" by several campers and many got very creative with their projects. I saw some campers writing in their journals, too. Thirteen members taught this year at Camp:  Norma Anderson, Sue Hanson, Sue Harrington, Linda Hart, Marjorie Holme, Jamee Jecmen, Mary Keller, Joyce Kineally, Mel McCormick, Susan Pajak, Carol Parry, Karen Pinta, and Bernie Wiscons.

We owe a lot of thanks to many people: Kreinik, who provided the wealth of metallic threads. Stitch-by-Stitch Needlework shop who donated over and above what their "Camp Quality" promotion generated. Several members who donated money. Everyone who cut out shapes, glued on eyes, cut out book covers and made up kits, and donated felt, felt, and more felt!  I would especially like to thank the committee: Susan Pajak, LIna Hart, Karen Pinta and Jamee Jecmen for all of their wonderful ideas and hard work.

We've been invited to return next year and are excited to begin planning our project."

Marjorie Holme
 

Needle Artisans of Northwest Indiana, EGA