 |
| The guild's first blanket collection and the contributors in 2005. Photos courtesy of the Sacramento Weavers' and Spinners' Guild. |
 |
| Project Linus displays at a guild open house. The weaver in the photo is making a double-width woven blanket. |
I can't remember a time in my life that I have not been keenly aware of the textiles that surround me. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of upholstery fabrics, woolen sweaters, and, of course, my beloved blanket. So beloved, in fact, that only a fragment remains. This small relic still reminds me of the comfort and sense of familiarity it imbued in my early life. Textiles serve not only to clothe and protect, but to bring color and joy to our lives, instill security, and satisfy our need to create.
Project Linus is a charitable organization that gives people who love making textiles the opportunity to offer comfort to children in need of warmth and cheer. The Sacramento Weavers' and Spinners' Guild (California) began creating knitted, crocheted, woven, and quilted blankets to donate to the Sacramento Chapter of Project Linus in 2004. Since then, the guild's members have donated over 1,100 blankets. Sixty-two members are participating in the project, and several members have made over 125 blankets each!
Carol Graves is the Project Linus coordinator for the guild. She had this to share about the effort:
"This is a project to help children who, for whatever reason, cannot help themselves. Many of our blankets go to sick children in hospital and to neonatal intensive care units. They go to older children in the Sacramento-area summer camp for burn victims, to homeless shelters, to the foster care system, and to various police departments to be carried in patrol cars and used to comfort a child involved in a domestic dispute. Wherever there is a child in need of a hug, a blanket from Project Linus fills that need. How could we not participate in such a wonderful program? We are fiber people. Fiber is an integral part of our lives, so this really is an easy thing for us to do. We constantly encourage friends, neighbors, relativesc and nonparticipating guild members to make a blanket! Whether knitted, crocheted, woven or sewn, it is all the same. Comfort a child. What greater purpose is there?"
For more information on the blanket requirements for Project Linus donations, visit the website.