Industry News

Baby Lock, Girl Scouts assist Hugs for Kids

Hundreds of girls help sew blankets for children in local hospitals

In December 2007, thousands of girls gathered for Shades of Green, an annual expo that unites the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for a day of activities in St. Louis. Baby Lock participated in the event as an exhibitor, sponsoring a booth with 12 Baby Lock sergers and numerous volunteers. At the booth, girls could learn to use the machines, creating quilt blocks that would later be sewn into blankets for children in St. Louis hospitals.

Throughout the day, hundreds of girls sewed together 5” x 5” squares of fabric. Volunteers later stitched the squares together to create blankets. The blankets were given to Toni Pagano, founder of Hugs for Kids, a St. Louis-based charity that provides quilts and blankets to children in need of a little extra warmth and comfort in local hospitals. The sewing booth offered Girl Scouts of all ages the opportunity to earn requirements for project badges.

“At any point in the day, 20 girls waited in line for a chance to use the sergers,” said Christine Hong, marketing director, Baby Lock. “We didn’t expect such a huge turnout, but we’re very pleasantly surprised. These girls are the next generation of sewers, so we love to see their enthusiasm for the craft.”

Pagano was also thrilled with the Girl Scouts’ participation. “It was a memorable event showcasing how Girl Scouts can be their strongest, healthiest and best,” she wrote in the Hugs for Kids newsletter.

Founded in 2002, Hugs for Kids is a St. Louis based non-profit organization. Its mission is to provide cozy, fleece blankets -- “hugs” -- to hospitalized children who are in need of reassurance, love and an extra hug of support. For more information, call 1-314-974-7300, or contact the organization at P.O. Box 50046, St. Louis, MO 63105.

About Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri:
Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri serves more than 64,000 girls supported by 17,000 adult volunteers in the City of St. Louis and the 28 surrounding Missouri counties of Adair, Audrain (Van-Far School District), Clark, Crawford, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Reynolds, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan, Warren and Washington.

About Baby Lock
A major underwriter of the popular PBS television show Sewing With Nancy®, starring national sewing authority Nancy Zieman, and Quilt in a Day®, starring national quilting authority Eleanor Burns, Baby Lock offers a full line of products that enhances the love of sewing, including technically advanced quilting and sewing machines, sergers, embroidery products and exclusive software. For more information about Baby Lock, visit www.babylock.com or call 1-800-422-2952.

Reprinted from SQE Professional, April 2008