Oct 2008 Workgroup Weekend

The Aker House was a busy place this weekend.  The Preemie Project Volunteers met for its quarterly workgroup weekend

Volunteers got together from 11am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday Oct 4 and 5, 2008.  We meet four times a year to sew blankets for the NICU at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.  With over 800 babies a year admitted to the NICU, that takes alot of time and commitment from TPP volunteers. 

At these work groups, we typically sew fleece/flannel blankets to be given to the babies.  Since many of the babies spend months in the unit, they can be expected to need many blankets of varying sizes.  We usually average around 200 finished blankets.  We did alot of reminising this weekend about when the sewing weekends first started three years ago.  The first work group produced around 60 blankets.  We were so proud of ourselves.  We had no idea of the potential of this group.  We have learned alot, where and when to get the best deals on fabric, how to maximize the volunteers that show up ready to work.  We no longer cut blankets out on the sewing weekends.  Fabric is passed out to a dedicated core group of volunteers that take it home, wash, pin and cut.  Having the blankets ready to go before the sewing machines show up has really helped us increase the number we are able to finish during this two day period of time
But, you don’t have to be a seamstress to participate.  We need people to trim seams and turn, iron the seams, sort and package the finished product.  Due to increasing cost of fabric and materials, we finished only 175 blankets this time.  We have high hopes for the after Thanksgiving sales at the fabric stores.  We are planning some tag team sale shopping early that Friday morning.  It’s for the BABIES!
I almost forgot the best part of the weekend….The Food!

We all contribute to a potluck lunch.  We sew a little, eat a little, sew a little, eat a little.

Most of TPP has only seen my home in the complete disarray of the Workgroup weekends.  Laura and I had the place spic and span and back in order within an hour of the last blanket being finished.  Here is proof that I really don’t live like that all the time.

I hope to see you all for the January Workgroup scheduled for Jan 31, Feb 1. 2009.