BARRHEAD-The Barrhead Stitchers and Rippers have a long history in using their talents to help people in need. So when the group was asked if they would sew protective masks for the Westlock Independence Network, their answer was a resounding yes.
That is what Stitchers and Rippers member Betty Jean Thompson said about the organization's latest project.
The Barrhead Stitchers and Rippers formed in about 2008.
Their purpose was simple, just a group of people who liked to sew and quilt, who get together to work on their sewing projects in a group setting.
However, Thompson noted it didn't take long for the group to morph into something more.
"We do a lot of charity-based sewing," she said.
Some of the projects the club has taken part in are making baby blankets for the Barrhead Pregnancy Centre, fleece mittens for Barrhead and District Family and District's Coats for Kids program.
"It all depends on what we are asked to do and the materials we have on hand or what is donated to us," Thompson said.
For example, she said a few years ago the group was given a large batch of T-shirt material, so the Stitchers and Rippers decided to make shirts for Barrhead's Operation Christmas Child.
Operation Christmas Child is a project run by Samaritan’s Purse Canada, a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization founded in 1970 that has been providing spiritual and physical aid to people in need.
The project fills shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for needy kids in desperate situations around the world.
It didn't take long for the word to get out that the group was making masks before they were approached by other organizations asking them to make masks for them, one of the first being Barrhead's Public Health Unit.
"We made 202 for them, 115 for Hillcrest Lodge (a senior supportive living facility) and 46 for patients at the [Community Cancer Centre] in the Barrhead Healthcare Centre," she said.
The group also received several requests from people in the healthcare field for headbands with strategically placed buttons to hold the masks plastic loops in place.
"People who have to wear headbands for extended periods find their ears can get sore from the mask straps but the headbands help alleviate the problem," Thompson said.
The mask themselves are made from cotton material and they use a double-layered pattern that allows the user to insert a filter in the middle for an added layer of protection.
She added members of the Barrhead Country Quilters are also helping them make the masks and headbands.
It should be noted that the masks are not intended to replace the N95 respirator masks or other certified personal protective equipment.
Although Alberta chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw has stated non-medical or home-made cloth masks do not protect those who wear them, they can stop the spread of the coronavirus by helping prevent the spread and contain respiratory droplets produced when people speak.
The masks and headbands are just one of the projects the club is currently working on, noting in a month or so, they will be making quilts of the Quilt of Valour (QOV).
QOV is an organization whose purpose is to show their appreciation to veterans and current Canadian Armed Forces personnel for their service by giving them a hand-made quilt.
Thompson noted the only way the club could make the masks, quilts and the other community project creations is through the generosity of the public through the donation of materials, both cloth and thread.
For more information about Stitchers and Rippers, donate material contact Thompson at 780-674-6832 or e-mail at [email protected] or Nancy Zylinsky at 780-674-5903 or [email protected].
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
TOWNandCOUNTRY
COVID-19 UPDATE: Follow our COVID-19 special section for the latest local and national news on the coronavirus pandemic, as well as resources, FAQs and more.
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
