Lydia Sewing Circle
A Bit of History
In 1908, women from the Ladies Aid formed a volunteer sewing group, first making bed coverings for a Granite City hospital and clothing for orphans. They named themselves Lydia Sewing Circle, after Lydia Willhelm, wife of Zion’s pastor at the time.
They went on to sew for the Children’s Friend Society of Peoria (later a Lutheran orphanage), missions in India, orphans in Des Peres, Missouri, and the Red Cross. When Community Memorial Hospital in Staunton was built, they sewed all the draperies.
In the 1940s–50s, they began raising funds through an annual bazaar of handmade items. Since 1993, Lydia Sewing Circle has focused on hand quilting, raising money for Zion Church and School, LCMS groups, and global and local missions—completing 146 quilts. Donations have supported Concordia Seminary’s food bank, LCMS missionaries, Pastor David Andreas’ blind ministry, Staunton’s Pack-a-Sack program, VBS, and more.
Join Us
Wednesdays 9:00am-12:00pm in the Parish Center basement
Today, six women meet weekly on Wednesdays from 9–noon in the Parish Center basement to quilt—and always welcome new members. For 115 years, God has used this group to build fellowship and support missions through their time, talent, and treasures.
Lydia Sewing Circle shares quilts as expressions of love for the Lord and others. Some members have continued quilting into their 90s—reminding us that God has a mission for us at every age. Just as quilters stitch scraps into beautiful creations, God transforms our lives into something whole and meaningful.