WBAL Covers WCAA -MD "Sip 'n Sew" Event for Breast Cancer Survivors!
Please form a line for Autographs! The MD Chapter of the WCAA was the highlight of WBAL Baltimore's "Buddy Check 11" segment which airs on the 11th of each month to bring awareness to breast cancer.
WESTMINSTER, Md. —You've heard it's often the little things that mean the most. It's a saying that rings true for a group of women in Westminster who hope a small gesture will have a huge impact in the lives of those with breast cancer.
Inside the walls of a little custom drapery shop in Westminster, there is the hum of sewing machines, the steam of the hot iron and a community of women united behind a cause. The women are members of the Window Covering Association of America. They pick one outreach project a year, and this year, they're dedicating their talents toward helping breast cancer survivors.
"It's just a fun thing to do," said Paula Henry, of Simply Put Interiors. "Not too much sipping. More sewing than sipping, but it is a sip and sew." Henry figured out a way to put the leftover drapery fabric to good use after finding the Bosom Buddy design online. "You can see it doesn't require a lot of fabric," Henry said.
Working in stations, the ladies cut, fill and sew the fabric into a pillow. It's a simple design that makes a world of difference for survivors like Lori Yates. Since surgery is often followed by painful nerve damage, Yates used her pillow as a buffer for her seat belt when traveling to treatments. She also used it at night.
"I used it when I went to bed at night," said Yates, who is Komen Maryland's community health manager. "I put my pillow there, and I just found it a very comforting and supportive thing to have."
Henry hopes the spirit of comfort and support around the pillows continues. "If we can motivate people to follow our lead and do something meaningful that would be the cherry on top" Henry said. Once the pillows are finished, they will get a pink ribbon tied to an end and a tag that says, "Stitched with love, WCAA of Maryland." Each pillow will be donated to groups around the area, like Komen Maryland.
