by Rachel Turner
Always in action, Friendship Bridge Circles raise awareness, raise funds, and host education sessions about global affairs. They think ahead all through the year to prepare for upcoming events. Below, a little bit o’ winter in the summer….
Purchase Swittens
Betty Astle or ‘Button Betty’ as her Friendship Circle friends call her, smiles at another Circle member while preparing to add buttons to swittens on June 2, 2017. “I love buttons!” said Betty enthusiastically. “They’re so interesting. If I showed you my button collection, you’d go crazy. I have thousands. I like connecting the perfect button with the perfect switten.” The Evergreen Friendship Circle makes swittens (mittens made out of felted wool sweaters) all year long to sell at the Alternative Gift Fair in Evergreen. Proceeds go to Friendship Bridge. “Since many people buy swittens as gifts, we say you’re giving twice when you buy swittens,” continued Betty. “First to the nonprofit and then to your loved one.”
A tag is added to each pair as a reminder of who they benefit.” As your hand touches the swatch of Guatemalan fabric inside your switten, know that you have touched the lives of Guatemalan families by making this purchase.”
Mary Steinbrecher (left) and Ardis Strieby compile material to design the swittens. “I like working with fibers,” said Mary. “I got the idea for making the swittens from the Oconomowac Circle in Wisconsin. I visited them and learned how to felt wool and then adapted the designs to our culture.” The Evergreen Circle meets once per month to cut the material for the swittens and then they take the material home to sew. It takes about three hours to make a pair of swittens from start to finish.
Each pair of swittens has a piece of woven fabric from Guatemala sewn inside to remind buyers whose lives they’re helping.
Paula Carter cuts material for swittens while Mary Steinbrecher and Kathy Head speak to each other. Paula and Kathy design and sew Christmas stockings with wool that has become too thick to sew into mittens. “I love turning a pile of sweaters into a thing of beauty and joy for the holiday season,” said Kathy. “It’s fun!” A retired nurse, Kathy drives over 30 miles to meet with the Circle. “I love this group,” she said.
The Evergreen Circle also sells Christmas stockings made of felted wool. All the products are made from 100% natural fibers.
Ladies from the Evergreen Circle cut felted wool into patterns to sew swittens. The ladies buy used sweaters from thrifts shops and felt them by putting them in a pillowcase enclosed by a rubber band and then agitating them in a washer with hot water. “It’s not an exact science,” comments Mary Streinbrecher. “You have to watch them closely to that they don’t shrink too much, because then they will be too thick.”
Betty Astle and Barbara Voth embrace after seeing each other at the Circle’s gathering. “Barbara and I went to Guatemala with Friendship Bridge,” said Betty. “It was an amazing experience to see how hard clients work to give their children a better life.”
Swittens made by the Evergreen Circle
Purchase Swittens
For more information on Friendship Bridge Circles or to purchase swittens, please contact Ardis Strieby: astrieby@friendshipbridge.org
