Weekly Update and TV Alert - February 28, 2015

Hi Fabric Fun Ladies - Saturday was a huge success - we had both The Daily Sun photographer there to take pictures for the "This and That" column of the newspaper and we had the Comcast Channel 2 VNN videographer there to film the ladies making Fidget Quilts.  VNN usually airs the club highlights the same day the article appears in the newspaper.  I don't have Comcast any longer at the house, so please, pretty please, any ladies with Comcast keep you eyes on the Channel 2 to see when the segment airs on Fabric Fun.   It would be terrific to get the segment taped to show at our meeting.  Any chance one of you could do that??  The VNN segments run continually all day long, over and over, so they are not hard to see.  When we had Comcast, every morning, I'd check out what was on Channel 2 VNN, but if I missed doing that in morning, it was easy enough to catch segments during lunch or later evening. 

Calendar for March and April is being sent out later today in a separate email.  Please note that there will be no Fabric Fun meetings on March 14th and April 11th as the center will be used those two dates for special events.

It was so terrific to have the room filled with ladies busy creating and sewing Fidget Quilts - fun squared!!  Fidget Quilts are very special to us and to the wonderful people they go to for comforting.  No mistakes and each one its own masterpiece equals success from start to finish.  We will continue to make this charitable effort known and we always encourage our members to let their friends and families know in case they might know someone who could use one of them.  As it turned out, during our meeting on Sat. visitors to the rec center came in to see what was going on and we gave away 2 quilts then.  One went to a brand new family here in The Villages. 

Because of media buzz going on during beginning of meeting, we did not get to Show & Tell until mid-way thru our time on Saturday.  I think that is the first time that has ever happened and thank you everyone for all your patience.  Show & Tell is actually my very favorite part of every meeting as you all know very well, and really is a driving inspiration to/for all of us.

I started S&T off again this week showing a new quilt block technique.  The "disappearing", "altered", new-technique blocks continue to intrique me and so this new one is lots of fun for me.  It's not quite as great as the "alterned Churn Dash" block that is #1 with me, but this one is lots of fun to do and probably now my #2 fun one.  New block is "Layer Player" Quilt Block and pattern by quilt artist, Barb Johnson, for Moda BakeShop.  It provides and emphasizes how to deal with awkward seam allowances and this block uses a 1 1/2" seam allowance in addition to the 1/4" seam in its construction.   Awkward sewing and cutting process made easy with this block and quilt pattern.

 Peggy Carli - shared 3 table runners - very nice creativity - they say easiest way to spruce up for holidays or just change up your home dec is to make new pillows and tablerunners/placemats.  Peggy's got that going!!

JoAnn Colin - pillowcases, a cat hammock and microwave bowl holders - this gal has jumped in to help with our charities and sewing fun.

 

Nancy Cartlidge - made a stack of bowl buddies - WoW!

Jane Swafford - made 4 new pillowcases for Case for Smiles

Lois Rose - worked on UFO's this week and shared her completed rag quilts for charity, a mondo bag and mug rugs for fun!

Ellen Hein - made a dog bed! and bowl caddy.  Ellen needed deeper than pattern bowl buddy so she shared how making deeper pleats easily works to accommodate your own bowls. 

 Kathy Nichols - made a beautiful baby quilt and then shared the scissor holder she whipped up using a "dollar store" potholder.  These are terrific ladies because they keep you scissors safe and secure for to/from our fun clubs here in The Villages.  Scissors easily get nicked up, and just a $1 potholder can keep them safe.  And, of course, keep us safe from being poked unnecessarily when putting stuff in and out of totes, etc.

Donna Rissman - shared Snowman wall hanging she made up - so adorable, and then with leftover fabrics the mini-wall hanging or "mug rug" size snowman she made up by adapting the pattern to smaller proportions.  Then she used the same hex tool she bought for the snowmen to make an angled table runner.  Donna taught this cute project at a recent quilting retreat.

Elaine Krise - made to donate 10 pillowcases for Case for Smiles - I've really lost track of how many pillowcases Elaine has made over past couple months for this current effort.  Thank you very much, lady!  

back of fidget quilt, with retro fabric

Lu Karatzas - finished up 2 Fidget Quilts while we were having S&T and then got to show and tell them!!  What a hoot!

And we had a couple new ladies come in this week, and they joined right in the Fidget Quilt work.  Clara Baker and Mary Porretta (Mom Mary and Daughter Clara) both started FQ's.  Mary's theme is a golfing scene with a hand-crafted golf bag with clubs inside - ladies this is ingenious and you're going to love seeing this one when it is done.  Very inspiring!!  Maureen Davison and one of her visiting friends came in to see what we were doing, sat down, and proceeded to cut out a whole big bunch of "tool kit" applique motifs so they are ready for anyone to use on the manly fidget quilts they sew up.  Thank you for being such nice first time ladies and getting right in the swing of things.  It's kind of how this club operates all the time, maybe not as focused as on one specific kind of Fidget Quilt, but the room always has sewing crafting fun going on that can be joined in a little or a lot. 

As always, please keep sending your prayers out for our men and women serving here and deployed in this world under constant turmoil.  Mainstream Media does not do justice to our military, so it is more important that we, the American People, in our daily lives remember and uphold our faith and commitment in thanks for the freedom to pursue our happiness that they keep safe and strong for us.

I recently heard about a couple of phone scams happening around The Villages where the callers were offering "free" services.  I'm reminded of the old saying that is so true... "nothing in life is free".  And Freedom is not free because the men and women who have, are and will serve to keep us free know all too well the sacrifices and costs of freedom. 

As always, God bless and have a wonderful week,

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(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts