Register Now!

Stitchin' Mission at Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, begins in less than two weeks! There's plenty of room for you and your friends to join. And best of all, for those of you with small children, childcare is available!

Quilts will go to the Del Cramer Children's Campus in South Africa. This facility is part of Blessman Ministries, developed by Dr. Blessman of Urbandale, Iowa. Each day, this ministry feeds 1,000 children, many of whom are HIV-positive or living with AIDS. Dr. Blessman will speak to Stitchin' Mission participants at the first class.

Stitchin’ Mission is for everyone: adults and teens. For more information and to register visit www.StitchinMission.org or phone 515-222-1520.

Five free Stitchin' Mission, beginner quiltmaking lessons are:

Monday, January 3, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 10, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 17, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 24, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, January 31, 6:30 p.m.

Register Now!

Quilts Donated

Susan Strock and Anita Heilman, co-coordinators of the October/November Stitchin' Mission at Sheridan Park United Methodist Church collected and delivered 42 quilts to Broadlawns Family Birthing Center, Des Moines, Iowa.

Susan Strock and Stitchin' Mission quilts

Susan and a Broadlawns Family Birthing Center staff member

Thank yous to everyone who joined in making so many quilts! You are a blessing.

Grant Update

For those of you interested... I have received the Dream Big Grow Here grant check, and am now busily talking with various video production freelancers and businesses to choose the best option for making a Stitchin' Mission video.

The best use of time and money will be to videotape all five lessons in one day. That means gathering a dozen or so people as "students," five changes of clothes for me, and lots of sewing to show "one" quilt in various stages of completion. I anticipate that one quilt will eventually produce about six identical quilts!

It's all a little daunting at the moment, but my hope is that in the next few weeks I'll be able to make a decision about who will film, edit and produce this video. Videotaping will likely be toward the end of January, 2011. It's also my hope that the video and a printable coordinator's guide can be sold as a download through the Stitchin' Mission website.

I'll keep you posted!

Dream Big Grow Here Award Presentation

Another Stitchin' Mission Scheduled

Stitchin' Mission #24 has been scheduled at Lutheran Church of Hope, 925 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. Please join us!

Get more Stitchin' Mission information, and register here. Note that childcare is available.

Another Fine Finish!

On Monday evening (Nov. 1), another highly successful Stitchin' Mission concluded at Sheridan Park United Methodist Church on Des Moines' east side. Twenty people, including a father/daughter team, participated in lessons. The quilt count stood at 35 on Monday evening, but with a turn-in date of Sunday, Nov. 14, it's expected that the finally quilt tally will be nearly 40. What a wonderful show of support for babies born at Broadlawns Family Birthing Center!

And, what a beautiful display of quilts we'll see at the church from Nov. 20-30! I hope everyone in the Des Moines area can stop by for a look.

Our last lesson included lots of stories and laughter. Everyone's enthused about participating in another Stitchin' Mission.

Here are some of our quilters with their quilts. Unfortunately, several quilters were unable to make it to the last lessons. 

These three ladies are all related to one another, and even work at the same place!

Marilyn, Hollee, Joan

Karen, Phyllis, Sharon

Mary Kay, Beth, Ranae

These are some of the wonderfully helpful, and generous-with-their-time Rebekahs.

Norma, Angie, Michelle

Deb

Co-coordinator, Anita

Thank you all for making Stitchin' Mission so much fun! It's a double blessing that it blesses not only us who make quilts, but also the recipients. We are most definitely better togther!

Me - Linda

A Fine Finish!

Stitchin' Mission #23 concluded Tuesday evening at Martensdale Community Church. What a wonderful group of participants! Look at all those bright quilts and even more bright, smiling faces.

The quilt count isn't yet final since a few remain to be finished, but it looks as though approximately 35 quilts will be divided between children in LaMesa, Mexico, and Ruth Harbor, a Des Moines home for unwed mothers. Gorgeous!

These two Stitchin' Mission co-coordinators did an excellent job of planning and welcoming everyone to their church. Thank you both!

Linda B.

Renee S.

Nor would Stitchin' Mission be successful without the talented guidance offered by these dedicated Rebekahs. And they made quilts too! Wonderful!

Deb D.

Michelle T.

Norma H.

John 17:21 says, "(Jesus speaking) I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father, and I am in you." (NLT)

In every Stitchin' Mission, women and men, from a variety of beliefs and various denominations meet weekly, and together become the one that Jesus prays we will be. 

My prayer is that Stitchin' Mission will continual to be an occasion to join in community, regardless of our denominations, and be our opportunity to work together in service. In doing so, Jesus' prayer is answered.

Amen.