November 2007 marked the completion of 36 years of work by the faithful participants of our small group. It has been a ministry which our Lord indeed has been blessing and the recipients of our quilts, layettes, health kits, etc. know that “someone out there loves them.”

This past year two of our members have provided us with two new portable, light-weight, sewing machines, permitting us to retire two of our older, heavier, machines.

Our completed work this year consisted of 24 quilts, 40 layettes, 61 health kits, 13 lbs. of motel soap, and 23 lbs. of pop tabs. (The latter going to the Support the Ronald McDonald House in Johnson City, TN.)  All the other items were sent to Lutheran World Relief (LWR) to be distributed in distressed areas around the world.

Out total expenditures for 2007 were $896.22 which included $239.70 for Health Kit material purchases and a check for $166.38 for Project Comfort accompanying our September shipment to LWR.

The Blanket Workshop is indeed thankful for the generous individuals who have financially contributed towards our work, as well as the yearly congregational support via a Love Offering on the third Sunday in May.  None of our work could continue without this backing.

You may ask how we receive the raw material to make our blankets, layettes, etc. Fabric contributions by our Grace members continue to flow in for our quilt assembly.  We go to garage sales for most of the baby clothes necessary for our layettes and the one sweater included in each layette is knitted by volunteers in our congregation.  Other women work at home surging our purchased flannel material for the two receiving blankets needed in each layette. As you can see it takes many helping hands for this ministry to flourish.

We continue to extend an invitation to anyone who would like to join us any 1^st or 3^rd Thursday of each month in the Fellowship Hall from 10AM - 2PM. (You don’t need to be a seamstress to be of help.  Even putting order into our fabric boxes or being the essential pair of hands for the large quilt assembly is appreciated.)

Please contact Margaret Martin or Sigrid Ludemann for more information.

Respectfully submitted,

Sigrid Ludemann