Lebanon County Edition
September 2015
Vol. 10 No. 9
Reap More than What You ‘Sew’ Sewing Group Has Donated More than 36,000 Items to Charity By Chelsea Peifer People like to say that sewing is a lost or dying art in today’s society, but Marcellene Currens and her friends are evidence that the opposite may be true. Currens has been a sewing instructor for more than 40 years, and in 2011 she founded Sewin’ Sisters Sowing. “The idea that people are not sewing is a fallacy in my opinion,” said the 59-year-old. “People are continuing to sew, but it is different things.” People may not be sewing as many clothes, but they are sewing curtains, pillowcases, tablecloths, bedding, and all sorts of home décor pieces. And for Currens, one of the greatest joys that comes with sewing is the chance to pass along what she creates to someone who needs it. Nine years ago she formed the Sewin’ Sisters Sowing group, and since that time the women have sewn and given away 36,000 pieces ranging from blankets and pants to specially designed projects. “We are a sewing circle dedicated to sowing kindness. When we started out, we didn’t have a clue what the group would turn into,” said Currens, an ordained minister. “But it grew, and it evolved over time.” She is astounded by the poverty present right here in some of our local cities and said you don’t have to go far to “find kids with no socks, gloves, hats, and shoes in the dead of winter.” Currens and the other group members believe in giving to others because please see SEW page 12 “We’re trying to break down the fear of the sewing machine,” said Marcellene Currens, founder of Sewin’ Sisters Sowing, a charitable sewing circle that has created and donated items to more than 54 local charities.
Inside:
Salute to a Veteran page 6
Break the Silence! page 15