Sewing is a learned life skill that can provide self-worth, sustainability within the home with textiles and more, enjoyment with hobbies and it can also reduce stress. Kelly Smith, Jefferson County 4-H Agent served as the Cooperative Extension Service’s Jefferson County Master Clothing Volunteer (MCV) contact agent. The 4-H Agent provided program updates, helped to promote sewing programs taught by the Louisville MCVs, helped to ensure funds to pay for statewide trainings, provided feedback and support from interested individuals in the programs. 

The Master Clothing Volunteers made huge success within the community this year. The Ascension School Sewing Stars, under the direction of their leader Allysan Comstock, Master Clothing Volunteer, undertook a 8 month project to design and then sew hospital gowns for teens who were in the new AYA (Adolescent and Youth Adult) Cancer Unit at Norton Children’s Hospital.  The Children’s Hospital Foundation staff met with Allysan, several of the teens and another leader, Pat Mader to explain the project and if 4-H might be interested in working on the project. Under the direction of Allysan, the teens went to town on the project. They came up with ideas of how the hospital gowns should be designed to include cleverly designed “slots” to hide the Port or PICC lines used to give chemotherapy drugs to the patients and to have pouch pockets often seen on the hooded sweatshirts or “hoodies” teens love to wear. The 4-H group designed how to do this, made templates for these design elements and then went shopping for fun, age-appropriate fabric in which to make the gowns. The 4-H group made 36 gowns, all completely different from the others.

Norton Children’s Hospital is celebrating its 125 year history this year. As part of this celebration, there was an exhibit at the Frazier History Museum. The Ascension School 4-H Sewing Stars unique teen hospital gowns were a part of this exhibit.

This project had a large impact on the members of the Sewing Stars. They worked hundreds of hours on this project – coming up with ideas, designing the gowns, picking out just the right fabrics that other teens would love, sewing 36 gowns, and then being present at the AYA Cancer Unit Grand Opening. These 4-H teens learned about why hospital gowns were designed as they are and how to keep the functionality of the gowns while impacting special touches that teens would enjoy and appreciate such as fun fabric designs and colors, pouch pockets to keep their hands warm or easily store their cell phones, and cleaver ways to hide Port Lines.

As one of these 4-H girls said, “We always make things for ourselves, so it’s nice to do something for others. Everyone is supporting them. With these gowns, we are sending our love.” As for foregoing entering their projects into the State Fair, the girls said “Sometimes it’s good to make sacrifices in your life to help other people.”