Preemie project seeks those who knit, crochet

If you sew, knit or crochet, the March of Dimes needs your skill for its Preemie Project. The organization will mark Prematurity Awareness Month in November and as part of a campaign to educate the public about premature birth, volunteers – individuals or groups – are being enlisted to make or donate purchased clothing small enough to fit premature infants. These wee garments for Maine’s tiniest residents will be used in a visual display at the Preemie Project Tea on Thursday, Nov. 3, when Karen Baldacci, Maine’s first lady, will honor those who help swaddle preemies in little bitty garments. Later, the clothing will be donated to neonatal intensive care units throughout Maine.

Special guest at the tea will be Hampden native Jeff Stimpson, author of “Alex: The Fathering of a Preemie,” published in December 2004. Stimpson’s son weighed 21 ounces at birth and was hospitalized for nearly 13 months. Nationally, 400,000 premature babies are born each year, he said. “Anything that organizations like the March of Dimes can do to prevent premature birth is a valuable thing,” he said. Stimpson and his family, who live in New York City, served as an ambassador family for the New York chapter of the March of Dimes.

According to March of Dimes statistics, 1,372 babies were born prematurely in Maine in 2002, or 10 percent of all live births. The incidence of early births increased by 35 percent in Maine between 1992 and 2002. Researchers have not yet determined why.

Premature birth may lead to autism, lifelong learning disabilities, blindness, or other health issues. It is the leading cause of newborn death, according to March of Dimes information.

To get involved in creating little things for preemies to wear, visit www.marchofdimes.com/maine and register as an individual or group. Volunteers will find links for sewing patterns for preemie clothing, which may be printed out, at the Web site. Clothing made of fabric should be sewn of 100 percent cotton and closed with ties, nylon snaps or very small pieces of Velcro.

Visit www.carewear.org to find dozens of free preemie patterns for knitting, crocheting and sewing, or visit www.bevscountrycottage.com for more free preemie patterns.

If you don’t stitch, but want to participate, register at the March of Dimes Web site, then purchase preemie size clothing to donate to the project.

Some volunteers may want to hold a preemie baby shower and ask friends, family and co-workers to bring preemie clothing. The March of Dimes will supply brochures on preterm labor, the cost of prematurity, current research, and other aspects of premature birth for the hostess to hand out to guests.

Organizations may choose to organize a local Prematurity Awareness Day event during October and display handmade or purchased preemie clothing in a public place.

The deadline for delivering items to the March of Dimes is Wednesday, Oct. 19. Mail items to: March of Dimes, 60 Gray Road, Falmouth ME 04105-2024; or March of Dimes, 12 Acme Road, Brewer ME 04412. To obtain more information, call the Falmouth office at (800) 668-5678, or the Brewer office at 989-3376.

Snippets

. Nancy Byard of Veazie is seeking patterns for knit doilies. She’d also like to chat with others who knit doilies. Call her at 990-5782.

. Old Fort Western in Augusta will hold a historic clothing construction demonstration 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, at the fort. Historic interpreter Jeanne Payson will demonstrate the cutting, construction, fitting and finishing of men’s and women’s 18th century clothing. She will talk about historic textiles and how they were used.

Old Fort Western is open daily 1-4 p.m. through Labor Day. Admission is $5, $3 for children 6 to 16. Children under age 6 and Augusta residents are admitted free of charge. To obtain more information, visit www.oldfortwestern.org.

Ardeana Hamlin may be reached at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.

Common Threads

Tina Cunningham of Hudson read a recent column about an annual Finnish coffee party held by a few women of Scandinavian descent.

“I am of Finnish descent,” she wrote. “My great grandmother moved here from Finland with her husband and children, all born in Finland. I used to sit and watch her [crochet] before learning how.”

Cunningham is a fourth-generation crocheter. She learned to crochet from her great-grandmother when she was 4 years old. She was given a bone or ivory crochet hook.

“She told me it came from Finland with her and that her mother taught her to crochet,” Cunningham said, adding that her great-grandmother made chair pads that looked like reversible minirugs.

When the Hudson girl was a little older, her grandfather Viitala liked to sit and watch her crochet. When she ran out of yarn, he would go and buy her more.

Cunnigham describes herself as someone who does many kinds of crafts, “but my heart belongs to crochet.” – Ardeana Hamlin