Welcome to the Columbia, TN Chapter of Threads of Love!
Sewing for premature infants has been a ministry that I have been involved in for the past 5 years. I was inspired by an article in Issue #81 of Sew Beautiful to use my sewing talents for God in making heirloom gowns and clothing for tiny premature infants. Soon after reading that article, I formed the Columbia Threads of Love Chapter.

Threads of Love is a sewing ministry meeting the needs of tiny premature infants and little ones that don't make it. The ministry is about healing and binding hearts together--the hearts of parents at a time of uncertainty about their baby's health or when they lose an infant. Our mission is to show parents the love of Christ at a time when their personal pain is hard to endure and let them know that God is faithful. Through acts of obedience and donation, His work can and will continue. Pray that this ministry will have an impact far beyond our expectations.

About 12.5 percent of babies (more than half a million a year) in the United States are born prematurely (1). For reasons that doctors don’t fully understand, the rate of premature birth has increased by more than 30 percent since 1981 (1).

Hospitals across the nation have a need for tiny burial gowns for patients who are born prematurely and are too sick or too tiny to survive. There is also a need for gowns for premature babies who spend weeks to months in a NICU. Regular newborn clothing is too large for these babies. In the past, some families had no choice but to dress premature babies in doll clothes. Even finding clothing for their baby is a traumatic experience. Some families have even had to dress their stillborn children in doll clothes for their funerals.

Threads of Love is committed to serving the needs of mothers of premature babies. Tiny day gowns, bonnets, blankets and a prayer are furnished to the NICU at hospitals. The gowns help to cover up a lot of the medical equipment that surrounds their baby and allows parents to see their baby looking great. This means a lot for the parents of those preemies that have an extended hospital stay. New parents can’t wait to bring home their newborn. But for premature babies trying to get healthy, their ‘home’ becomes the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The NICU environment is very sterile and parents often can’t hold their newborn because their baby’s health is very fragile. They sit by their child’s side for hours on end, wondering when they will be able to hold their newborn.Tiny gowns and diaper sets give the parents a little normalcy in an environment where they don't feel like 'real' parents because they're not able to care for their babies themselves. It means so much for the parents to see their babies dressed up like "real" babies. These gowns help to bring a sense of comfort to the families as they work thru their grief process.

Our chapter also makes burial gowns and prayers for the grieving families whose little angels don't make it. For a parent holding a dying baby, sorrow is often overwhelming. Life isn't supposed to end before it's really had a chance to start. In those moments, even the strongest have their faith tested. Comfort can come to these families in the form of small gowns lovingly made for these tiny babies. The tiny clothing is designed to fit infants ranging from several ounces to full term. These gowns cover up a lot of the medical equipment so that the parents get to see their baby looking great. Sometimes, the parents keep the gowns as a keepsake; sometimes, the babies are buried in them. Through this ministry we can learn that the loss of an infant leaves a mother and her family in need of being nurtured and it is important to put a closure to this loss. When a baby dies, all the choices for the parents have been taken away. If they had just one choice, it would be for their baby to live. We can't change what happens to these little babies, but we can make a difference by reaching out to those families at a heart-breaking time in their lives. Sometimes the only choice these families get to have is to pick out a gown for their tiny little one. Our hope is that the little gowns help to soften their loss in some small quiet way that says "Someone cares about your loss." Most mothers will keep the bonnet or blanket as a reminder of their little one and it enables them to find comfort in their loss and begin the healing process.

Threads of Love sewing ministry provides a packet for a premature or sick infant containing a crocheted or knitted hat or a smocked bonnet, day gown, blanket, lovie doll and a prayer for healing. Simple gowns are made and embellished as little or much as you like, with or without smocking. Some people offer their knitting or crocheting talent by making booties, hats and blankets. When a parent is faced with the loss of an infant, we reach out to them with a packet showing God's love through our sewing skills, silently saying, "You are loved." All items are made and donated by ladies who are part of the Threads of Love ministry, who show their love for the Lord by using their sewing talents in serving the Lord.

Anyone in the Columbia area is welcome to be a part of our Threads of Love Chapter. We currently meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6-8PM in the Craft Room at Pleasant Heights Baptist Church.

I am also available to come and present the Threads of Love Ministry to your Ladies Sewing Guild, or your Church Women's Minstry that is located in the Columbia, TN area. If you would like me to speak to your group, please contact me at the e-mail address below. For those who are in other areas or states, you can go to www.threadsoflove.org and find the nearest Threads of Love chapter in your area.