A venerable New Canaan community group that’s been serving the town since 1931 is gearing up for one of its two major fundraisers.
Catherine Seton stands in front of the window display at the Playhouse, which now features items created by the venerable New Canaan Sewing Group. The organization’s Spring Boutique, a fundraiser benefitting local nonprofits, is to be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17 in Morrill Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Credit: Michael Dinan
The New Canaan Sewing Group’s Spring Boutique, benefitting local human services agencies, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17 in Morrill Hall at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
Club member Catherine Seton said the boutique will feature a wide range of fashion and decorate handcrafts. Prices for doll clothes, sweaters for infants, scarves, aprons, candle holders, bottle stoppers, painted dishes, wreaths and the increasingly popular knitted golf club covers range from about $8 up to $200, she said. A display of some of the Sewing Group’s work is being featured now in the window of the Playhouse.
The boutique “is important just to help us reach our goal of being able to give meaningful grants to 22 organizations,” Seton said.
Past local beneficiaries have included Carriage Barn Arts Center, New Canaan Cares, Schoolhouse Apartments, Summer Theatre of New Canaan and Getabout. Last year, the group raised enough to allocate $38,000, and has given nearly $1.5 million to some 80 organizations overall. The Sewing Group also has a boutique around the holidays.
With members from Stamford, Darien and Wilton in addition to New Canaan, the Sewing Group includes five groups and has active members that meet weekly at individuals homes as well as Lapham Community Center, Seton. The affiliate category of membership allows individuals to go to any group meeting, and is designed for people who may require more flexibility to participate, such as those with young children or who are working, she said.
Originally known as the Sewing Committee of the Visiting Nurses Association, the group began in 1931 “when a small group of friends gathered together to sew layettes, nightgowns and specialty clothing for families under the care of the Visiting Nurses Association,” according to a history of the Sewing Group supplied by Seton.
“After years of sewing flannel gowns, the members decided to sell their finer handiwork and donate the money to the VNA,” the history said. “They incorporated December 15, 1938.”
Various groups have formed through the years, based on the types of items they created and tools used—one made knitted sweaters, sacques, and caps for babies, another toys and assorted articles for children, still another used hand and machine stitchery and has since evolved into fine needlepoint.
“During the 1970’s, Group G (for gentlemen) was a men’s auxiliary group of 18 member husbands who contributed footstools, toys and Nantucket baskets,” the history said. “Food sales were also periodically held during the early years, to defray expenses incurred in sewing for the VNA. A food table was first featured at the Christmas sale. In 1954, the Sewing Group produced a cookbook, ‘How to Needle a Cook’ with revisions in 1961, 1966 and 1984.”
If you would like to be on the New Canaan Sewing Group’s mailing list to receive updates, please contact the organization at sewinggroup@gmail.com.