THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411010126
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
When an elderly friend spent hours lying on her kitchen floor after a fall, unable to get to a phone and call for help, Grace Van Derveer decided to find a way to keep such a thing from happening again.
She thought, ``Why not make an apron with pockets deep enough to hold a cellular phone, so in emergencies help could easily be summoned?''
An accomplished seamstress, Van Derveer went to her sewing machine and whipped up a deep-pocketed apron that would fill the bill. Her work was an immediate hit with friends.
That inspired her even more.
``So often, individuals who have had hip replacements, knee replacements or are disabled get overlooked,'' said Van Derveer, who lives in Bayview. ``They just need a few simple things so they will feel secure in their homes.''
Van Derveer went back to her sewing machine and made all sorts of fabric bags with pockets: ones that hook over walkers and wheelchairs, and others that slide in between the mattress of a bed.
``You just don't find these kinds of things for the disabled,'' she said. ``Sometimes it's hard for people to get their glasses or writing papers without getting out of bed. This way they don't have to get up.''
She got such a positive response from her ``inventions,'' Van Derveer solicited help in making the bags from the women in her church, Episcopal Church of the Advent in Ocean View. The women will sell the bags at their annual crafts fair Friday and Saturday.
Held in the parish hall on Norfolk Avenue, across from Ocean View Golf Course, the fair is open from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Friday evening, the Society for Creative Anachronism will serve ``medieval snacks.'' Lunch on Saturday will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition to Van Derveer's bags, all sorts of crafts, paintings, quilts, baby items, Christmas decorations, plants and other paraphernalia will be sold.
The fair is being held to benefit the church's food pantry. The parish's program feeds about 230 people per month. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Mary Sakakini, left, models one of the deep-pocketed aprons that was
made by Grace Van Derveer, right. Beverly Helms, middle, helped Van
Derveer come up with the idea for the apron.
by CNB