Mission Statement: Holy Sews, Inc. is organized to respond to a call to serve as God’s hands in the world; to show compassion to families experiencing the perinatal death of a child; to provide handmade layettes to treasure these infants who are too small for even preemie clothing; and to educate communities in caring for families experiencing perinatal bereavement.
What is a Layette? Our layettes consist of a small fleece blanket, a hooded wrap with a matching tunic, a knitted cap, a tiny teddy bear and a prayer card which includes a place for the parents to fill in information on the baby, as well as a place for the baby’s footprint.
How are the Layettes made? The layettes are made by the loving hands of our many volunteers. We have work days each month (see our Events Section for dates and locations) in Arkansas, Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York. For example, in Arkansas we meet on the second Sunday of each month from 1:30 to 4:30 to cut fabric and ribbon, to sew trim on blankets and buttons on tunics and to match sets together and prepare them for delivery. Many of our volunteers sew at home. We also have 14 chapters across the United States and Canada who are making layettes for hospitals in their areas.
Layette Distribution: As of January 2018, we currently serve over 375 hospitals, funeral homes, and organizations in all 50 states. We provide the layettes at no charge. Our plans are to continue extending our services into more hospitals, funeral homes, OB-GYN Clinics, and perinatal bereavement programs throughout the United States.
Getting Involved: There are many ways to get involved, including many tasks that don’t involve sewing. We also need volunteers to cut fabric and ribbon and to help package the finished product. Contact Holy Sews to find out how you can get involved.
How can I become a liaison? If you are interested in becoming a liaison, please contact us so that we can send you a Non-Disclosure Agreement Form for you to fill out and sign and return to us. Once you have done that, we will send you layettes so that you can contact the hospital(s) in your area, show them a layette, and find out if they would like to benefit from our free services.
I just went to our Holy Sews meeting at St. Mary’s in Oneonta, NY yesterday. The layettes are so beautiful. They’re all so lovingly made and have beautiful color combinations. Such care goes into each step from cutting the fabric and ribbon, to sewing the wraps and tunics, knitting/crocheting the hats and bonnets, adding the ribbons to the cards, and packing the finished sets. The women who do this work are so compassionate and gifted.