The Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild invites young sewers to take part in "Kids Sew for Others" day on Saturday, March 26, 2022. Participants will be sewing zippered toiletry bags to benefit The Village in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, which provides clothing and necessities to foster care families and children in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The event takes place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Old Spool Sewing in Brielle, New Jersey.
Belmar resident June Mellinger, who retired from the sewing industry after 25 years, has been a member of the Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild (JSMQG) for over four years.
“Our guild has been involved in helping people in many different ways,” Mellinger says. “We have a very active charity quilt chairwoman who is always on the lookout for people who could benefit from our efforts. Every year, our guild makes one charity quilt to show at the Modern Quilt Guild’s QuiltCon, which requires all the quilts to be donated after the event is over. This year, our quilt was titled ‘Jersey Shore Bird,’ and we will be donating it to a young Marine Corps veteran from Neptune Township who is having a Smart Home built for him by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.”
Over the past several years, the group’s charitable quilting initiatives have also benefited the Valerie Fund at Monmouth Medical Center, women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, and dialysis patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Members also have sewed portable diaper packs for hurricane victims in Houston, placemats for local Meals on Wheels clients, and even draft dodgers and bandannas for a senior dog sanctuary. In addition, JSMQG has donated 22 quilts to residents of the HABcore transitional housing community in Red Bank and over 40 quilts for the families displaced by the devastating 2017 Ocean Grove apartment fire.
“The charity sews happen in many different ways,” Mellinger says. “For instance, when we decided to help the victims of the Ocean Grove fire, we set up a day of quilting in a huge auditorium in Asbury Park and invited anyone to come in to help us out. Other times, we have met in members’ homes for various stages of the projects and ultimately finished up at a Saturday sew-in.
JSMQG meets the second Thursday of every month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. either through Facebook Meetings or in-person at the Old Spool Sewing Studio, 617 Higgins Avenue, Brielle.
“Joining this group has been great,” says Mellinger. “It keeps me involved, and I have met lots of new friends. In addition to our charitable sewing, we participate in quilt shows, travel to local quilt shops and other guild meetings, and attend classes in New York City. We sometimes meet at members’ homes to work on projects.”
Yearly membership dues are $40.00, with a $10.00 new-member fee for the first year. Members receive access to the national Modern Quilt Guild resources, forums and webinars as part of their JSMQG membership.
“Our membership is open to all, and skill levels are not judged,” Mellinger says. “Members and friends bring their favorite project to work on, and new techniques are discussed at each meeting as well. We share and ask advice about what everyone is making. The best part about being in the guild is the camaraderie with folks you never would have met otherwise.” Email the Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild to learn more.
Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild
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