This year’s Volunteer Project at the ASDP conference in Nashville started with a snag and ended up fabulous due to the ingenuity and many helping hands of our members. It had been requested that members donate fabric and thread to make aprons for Thistle Farms’ Thistle Stop Café. While preparing the room beforehand, we realized the sewing machines were missing. There was plenty of cutting to do, so our initial thought was we could at least cut them out and ask volunteers to take aprons home to be completed.

Never underestimate the power of ASDP members! Two ladies had sewing machines at the hotel and scurried to their rooms to get them. Then a classroom serger was put into action. Extra irons and ironing boards were confiscated from various rooms and we were on a roll. Sewers began working on aprons that had been previously cut out and others started working at the cutting stations. As the cutting progressed, the sewers were asked to work on the ties and neck straps so they could be turned right side out and pressed. Soon the apron seam allowances were being pressed and unsewn aprons were assembled into complete units. The 3 hours flew by and in the end we had 11 completed aprons to give to Thistle Farms the next day. Approximately 25 more aprons, in various stages of completion, were picked up by several members to be completed at home and then forwarded to Thistle Farms.

We would like to thank members for their donations of fabric and thread, the use of their cutting mats, rotary cutters and sewing machines. Thank you to the members who took aprons home to complete and sent them on to Thistles Farms at their own expense. The quick action of everyone getting the process in motion in an efficient and orderly manner was greatly appreciated. It is amazing what this talented group of ladies can do when we work together. We accomplished what we set out to do and had some fun and lively conversation while doing it.

Thank you again to everyone involved

Written by Kathy Levy