Layettes for needy moms

"I asked her what she was doing and she showed me," said Lizarraras, who kept up with the hobby sporadically for the next 10 years.

That explains the 15-year-old freshman's anxiety over being a major part of an art project at Academy of Tucson High School that created four quilts for the Christ Child Society of Tucson's layette program.

Those quilts became part of a layette, or a set of accessories for a newborn, to be given to disadvantaged mothers shortly after birth. It's the first time the Christ Child Society, a nonprofit organization that helps children in need, has worked with a school to help with the annual program, which hands out about 300 layettes a year.

Art teacher Deanna Dikinis said she asked chapter Vice President Nancy Jones to come to the charter school in November to talk about the organization, which immediately prompted students to think of ways to help.

"I wanted them to learn knitting and make something for themselves," Dikinis said. "But I also wanted them to knit something to give to someone, and that's where the Christ Child Society came in."

From the discussion came the idea that 65 students would design at least one 6-by-6-inch square of material that would be combined into four quilts. Dikinis said the project fit perfectly into the knitting portion of her yearlong art class at the charter school, 10720 E. 22nd St., where their biggest project at the time was making bookmarks and scarves.

When the squares were done in January, four student volunteers — Lizarraras, Rachel Fox, Mark Nichols and Sami Kier — worked with Dikinis to stitch the squares together into colored wool blankets. Lizarraras said he was in charge of two quilts and supervised his classmates making the other two.

Last week, Dikinis, the four quilt makers and senior Brittany Everitt traveled across town to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 5150 N. Valley View Road, to deliver the quilts and help the Christ Child Society assemble the layettes.

"Even if the blankets turned out ugly, we knew the moms who got them would be proud," said freshman Kier, 15.

Neither Lizarraras nor Nichols said he thought much about embarking on a predominantly female-oriented activity when the project was announced.

"We just wanted to help people who couldn't afford things," said Nichols, an 18-year-old senior.

"There were lots of good things that came from this," said the society's Jones. "I overheard a couple of the kids say they enjoyed this as a pastime."

Dikinis, who has used knitting in her unconventional art class for two years, said gender roles weren't a factor when she handed out needles and yarn to the boys in the class.

"In two years, there hasn't been a guy that's said, 'No way,' " said Dikinis as she stuffed bags full of baby clothes. "They realize that knitting is great for a lot of things. It's great working with your hands."

Fox, a senior, said she was surprised that knitting was part of her art class.

"It seemed more like home economics," said Fox, 17. "I thought art would be just painting."

Lizarraras argued that knitting can be artistic.

"It's using your mind to create something," he said.

All five students said they'd love to continue knitting in some fashion and would jump at the chance to contribute to the Christ Child Society's layette program again.

"That was nice, what we were doing," said Fox shortly after packing the layettes. "It was a very selfless thing."

What's in a layette?

• Two pairs of socks

• Gown

• Washcloth

• Shirts and onesies

• Blankets

• Towel

• Bib

• Burping cloth

• Toy

• Book

All items are purchased or donated new to the Christ Child Society.

The Christ Child Society

The Christ Child Society is a national nonprofit, nondenominational organization "dedicated to serving children in need regardless of race or creed," according to its mission statement. All members of the organization's chapters are volunteers who help coordinate various functions throughout the year:

• The layette program donates baby clothes and supplies to new mothers.

• The preemie program makes caps and booties for premature babies, as well as gowns and caps for burial of a newborn.

• The San Xavier Mission School receives cash donations to pay for uniforms and school equipment, and volunteers work at the school regularly.

• The Shower of Love luncheon presents baby gifts to a selected organization annually.

• The Challenging Poverty: One Child at a Time program provides ongoing support for disadvantaged children.

• The fall fashion show and spring raffle raise money to donate to various causes.

• The organization also gives grants to other groups that help children in poverty and accepts memorial donations to help pay for those grants.

To help the Christ Child Society of Tucson, call Nancy Jones at 529-5858.