Concerted Effort

Local sewers have come together to support the Lincoln Public School's Christmas concert, Jingle Bell Juke Box.

The school needed 32 poodle skirts in five different sizes, so members of the school, the Lincoln Council for the Arts, and the Rippin' Stitchers, a local sewing group, pooled their resources for the project.

On Monday, Nov. 18, Judy Spath from the Lincoln Council for the Arts worked with 5th grade teacher Stacey Mannix and Rippin' Stitcher Jesse Sallin to develop a design for the skirts. Annette Gardner took measurements of the students, which Spath used to draft all five skirt patterns and sew a test skirt. By Wednesday, an assembly line had been set up in the Lincoln Library community room to cut and sew the remaining skirts.

Spath spent much of the day cutting skirts from fabric donated by community members. Requiring up to three yards of fabric each, the skirts will use more than 60 yards of fabric to complete in addition to elastic and other notions. "It was a very enthusiastic group of sewers, and we had people stop by to see if they could donate material and help in any other way that was non-sewing," Spath said.

Community projects are nothing new to the Rippin' Stitchers, who have come together in the past to complete more than ten quilts for the Red Lions Project, 150 potholders for the Fourth of July Parade, and additional quilts for local fundraising efforts. The group is currently working on potholders for the Senior Center Christmas Party, slated for Thursday, Dec. 5 at 11:30 a.m. The Rippin' Stitchers started in January 2016 and meet every Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Anyone is welcome and most members work on personal projects alongside the community projects that come along.

Spath, who provided fabric for nearly half the skirts, has completed 11 already, and the sewers hoped to have the rest completed by Thanksgiving so school staff can put the finishing touches on them before dress rehearsals.

The public performance of Jingle Bell Juke Box will held Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the school gym. It is free of charge and open to the community.