Weekly Update - February 14, 2015

Hi all, so my 10 yr old puppy is being a pest this morning... in, out, in, out... when I'm away she doesn't "bug" Mac this way, but she has me twisted around her pretty paws - at least that is how it feels.  Pets are like children in so many ways and yes, I've spoiled her into some of these routines.  But I will try to concentrate and get thru the beautiful display list of show & tell items that you ladies put on last Saturday. 

Next two Saturdays are both "Sit-n-Sews".  No demos are planned, but as always there's plenty of help and ideas generated around the room.  Definitely, I'm always happy to stop, sit and help ladies with their questions.  I know at times it is hard to get my undivided attention, as I do get distracted easily, to this I just please ask you to persist, don't give up, and eventually I get it, stop and focus.  And! I love helping each and every one of you whenever.  Pillowcases & Cat Hammocks:  There are over 30 pillowcase fabric kits together to quickly sew up for Case for Smiles.  There are 20 Cat Hammock fabric kits together to add the corner tags to and finishing sewing up.  I have all these set up on a table for next two meetings in hopes that ladies will pick up one or two to "sit and sew" right there during our meetings, or take home and return quickly enough so we can get them distributed to the charities we're helping.  If you haven't done a pillowcase or cat hammock, have no fear, they are easy and quick and lots of ladies to guide you along to complete them.  And, there are those never-ending-fabric-scraps produced each week!  Lois has plenty of doggie bed forms put together for us to just stuff!!  Don't want to sew, please consider just sitting and cutting up some of the fabric scraps clogging our resource shelves and just stuffing a doggie bed or 2 or 3!!!

Last Saturday, we welcomed Donna Pachy back with lots of smiles, hellos, applause, cake and some other goodies brought in.  Donna's work schedule is freeing up a bit, so hopefully we'll see her at our meetings now which is awesome for how this club runs... she keeps us very organized, always has just the right idea and help needed for the club and each of us.  Donna doesn't like me toot her horn because she likes doing all the behind the scenes stuff, but newbies just know that what she does all the time makes Fabric Fun more fun!  And Donna is the very best and smartest and nicest realtor The Villages has on staff.  So all around... we're a lucky community here!!  Sorry Donna, I'm so glad to see you back and just needed to do some "tooting"!  (I've had to store it up for several months.

Lois Rose delivered 25 cat hammocks. 6 doggie beds, donated towels and papers to Marion County Rescue Shelter last week on behalf of our club.  These are the wonderful items you ladies donate your time, money and talents to produce that go hugely to making the discarded 4 legged cuties loved and comforted a little/a lot.  Thank you, Lois!

Show & Tell: nice list ladies!!

Pat Pipa - Shared some "Humbug" style bags she made from the "sample fabric books" (see NOTE below!).  Free fabric, fun technique and gift/useful little pouches produced - it is that simple.  Pat also made and donated assorted cat hammocks, doggie beds.  And then she share the quilt she completed during recent college course.  She "passed" the class!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lu Karatzas - shared an array of bowl buddies she made up during the week! 

Elaine Krise - shared the 4 additional pillowcases she made to donate and a pretty little "pillowcase" dress she sewed up, too










Lois Rose - Gets our Wow! award for the week with her beautifully designed, made, and completed machine embroidered king-size quilt.  This is no simple, quick, task.  Besides the patchwork, setting rows and columns in her designed fashion, creating the layers, then squaring and making a quilt sandwich, next using a stitch-in-the-ditch (grid like) gameplan to stabilize her beautiful work, then she could take it to the next step with the machine embroidery designs and placement that puts it over the top!   Lois showed the back of her quilt that she used a extra-wide fabric she purchased at Sharkys Vac & Sew on 301 in Wildwood. 
FYI, Sharkys sells a large assortment of extra wide (quilt backing) fabrics for unbelievably low prices - much less than other outlets and "real quilt shops".   And by the way, judging by the count bolts of fabric on hand and what they have ordered coming into the store, Sharkys can definitely be classified a "real quilt shop" now.  Thousands of bolts, machines, notions, classes and lessons... yippers that makes it official - I'm calling the store a real quilt shop!!  
 

 
 
 
Alice Meunair - Shared an adorable 9-patch quilt she sewed up with scraps, added sashings, borders and made to turn in to our charity pile for next time we donate quilts to one of the local shelters.  Alice made up her name tag - very nice!  And lastly, she shared a sewing scrap bag she made for herself!!  Ladies - this useful sewing notion will be a demo in March!!  I know my sewing room is in desperate need of a new one or two of these!







 

Winnie DePastino - shared the bowl buddies she sewed up during the week.  Winnie, Lu and some other ladies had some fun making a mini-runway performance doning their buddies as bonnets and singing, too!  Check out the picture on the BlogSpot using the link below!  What a Hoot!

 

Ruth Campbell - shared the chair covers she completed to help with charity project for Kandie's son's class of students in Charlotte, NC.   And Ruth did all those while having eye surgery and still recovering from that!!!

Editors note here:  Ruth turned 91 this week - so we sang her Happy Birthday!!  Ruth and Elaine Krise started coming about the same time, sit sort of in same area, and both have dug into the projects and fun and already are inspiring and sharing enthusiasm for sewing crafting.  And Elaine is just 86!   So she's the baby of the duo! 

Little Eileen DiSanto shared the X-Lg size microwave bowl she made up using the new pattern templates.  I saw her put the 17 inch squares together so I can testify that this is one of the largest ever!  It turned out great because Eileen smartly used an extra layer of batting for the bigger size.  Thanks for the tip, lady.  So when making the 14 in sizes and larger, it is a good idea to use a second layer of batting or even 3rd.  The new pattern calls for sewing regular cotton and batting together, making 2 sides like that and then sewing the sides together.  Here is where you can definitely insert another batting layer if you feel the need. 





 

Jeri Cerullo - back from the frozen, snowed in north!  shared a couple of awesome ideas - 1 - Christmas card Heart ornament and even made suggestion to use pictures for some/all of the faceted-sides of the heart ornament.  Great!!!  2 - Gift box - like a "green" project for us - beautifully sewed, quilted box with even a label inside to record the names and dates the box is used (Donna thought of calling it a "journey tag".)  We're going to be making both these ideas  up in the very near future, so we'll get our demos in order, patterns produced, and get them scheduled. 

 

Linda Parr - shared a cute "A" word T-Shirt.  Some sewing crafters call applique-ing the "A" word because they consider it too tedious for the effect.  When you see a cute T-Shirt appliqued in a child' fabric favorite motifs, including the child's initials - you definitely understand that it is very worthwhile technique to learn and use.  

Note:  There's 4 or 5 ways to get to the same applique effect - all work terrific - just becomes personal preference (fusing/templates/freezer paper) and finishing like raw edge A, machine A, hand and needle-turn A, fusible A, piping A, Celtic A, Broderie Perse, shadow A, blind stitch/satin stitch/fancy stich... and the list goes on... make it your creative process!

JoAnn N - cat hammocks - more - thank you!!  And she shared a necklace made using eyelash yarn and braiding.  Gotta learn this stuff!! 











 

 

Mary Nazyiowicz - made and shared a beautiful little wallhanging of quilted heart for Happy Valentines!  Adorable and great job for this new sewer.












 

In addition, we looked at a couple new project ideas for our group to put on our sewing schedule.  1 - tissue holders - simple to make and fun to embellish.  2 - hanger holders - using a plastic hanger for template create a wonderful garment holder and jewelry holder all in one.  And FYI can be concealing while traveling and hanging in hotel rooms.

Last Saturday, my demos included 7 projects/techiques/ideas, here is the list presented with hand-outs.  Over the next couple weeks, I'll be happy to answer questions and help anyone working thru their own creations.

1. ZIPPERS - Pretty Pouches & Humbug Bag/Triangular
2. Pillow Form - one piece
3. Wreath using square pieces of fabrics
4. Scarf with Fancy Stitching
5. New idea for raw edge square patchwork
6. Casserole Carriers - Easy Peasy
7. Fancy Purse with Bobbin Work & Couching

I'm sending TLC prayers this week for Sue Campbell who has problems with continued knee swelling and undergoes some testing this week for possible surgery needed.  Anything with knees and lower legs takes lots of care and lots, lots of time healing - the most important part.  Good luck, lady. 

I'll get over to see Kay Flanagan this week so we can have an update on our good friend and how she is coming along.  Please keep Kay and her family in your prayers as well. 

As always, pray for our service men and women and their families, home and deployed.  Pray that our civilian leaders have sense enough to lift the political restraints and constraints they place on the military so that they are able to do their tasks we train them and send them to do in our name.  Especially pray for the 300+ Marine contingent deployed to Iraqi base that that is now under siege by ISIS (yes!  Islamic Terrorists!) This base has been attacked once by suicide bombers - people who put TNT vests on, walk into innocents and service men/women, and blow themselves up to mame and kill others in the name of Allah and leave the ISIS trail of terror.  The town just 5 miles from this base is under ISIS control and the base stands as a fortress for Bagdad.  Our Marines are there to "train" the Iragi's - hogwash!  Our Marines are trained and just the 300 of them can do the job - get the job done - and this is said by more than one great heroes and military minds like Marcus Luttrell (Lone Survivor), Rob O'Neill (Man who shot OBL), and countless Generals, Commanders, Lt. Colonels, (yes, great and couragegous military minds who have "done the job" and know what to do!)  Pray that the politicians get out of the way, because otherwise there's potential for a horrific disaster to happen here.  And please remember the very serious, sincere words of one of the very courageous and wise Founding Fathers and President, John Adams, "Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."  Pray for this special 300 in Iraq now.

Sit and Sews next two weeks!!  Let's see those machines coming out, turned on, and having fun!!

As always, take care, be good and God bless,  

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(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee