Weekly Update - March 21, 2015

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I got Micki's email just in time to update this blog entry with her notes merged into my photos before I sail off for the week.  Everybody have fun at tomorrow's lunch & learn with BJ & Pat.  
Lois
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Hi Fabric Fun Ladies, Reminder that tomorrow, Sat., March 28th is Lunch & Learn with a Surprise - lead by Pat Pipa and BJ Herter.  Lunch - No RSVP's required, so if you are in town, please come - no sign up required, bring a dish to share or bring paper plates, always enough to go around!  Learn - Pat & BJ showing how to make "scrappy carrots" - fabric need is 9"x10" scrappy piece, or use fabric from our storage shelves, and green felt will be provided for the "leaves".  Thanks again to Pat & Sunshine Lady BJ in advance for leading our club meeting while I'm away.  

Due to travel and couple circumstances, I apologize for not getting the show & tell update out until late this week.  Please be sure to check the blogspot for all the terrific pictures Lois Rose takes and provides every week.  Reminder though that Lois is away on fun trip for next two weeks.  Thanks to JoAnn Colin who will be taking pictures of show and tell which Lois will put on blogspot when she returns.  So be sure to smile pretty for JoAnn when showing off your terrific projects, and one of that shy stuff - hey!

Fidget Quilts - we are now keeping a small supply of completed fidget quilts in a plastic bin on the storage shelves to make it handy for anyone to pick up one or more during our weekly meeting times at Sea Breeze Saturdays 1-4 pm.   Ladies, I mention this especially for all of you to know that completed Fidgets are there in case you hear of a need during the week or meet someone who has a friend, relative, neighbor who could benefit by these comforting lap quilts, so it would be easy for you to get to Sea Breeze to pick up.  

(During the meeting a lady from one of the clubs outside the Villages dropped off some fidget quilts they made for us.  These were made with a new concept - instead of making lap quilts they made pillows.  Here is a picture of some.)

Thanks to one of the reporters for The Daily Sun there will be an upcoming article about the doggie beds and cat hammocks we've been providing for Marion County shelters since December.  Lois took up our donations and had a picture taken and Anna-Michelle Lavadier of The Daily Sun is writing an article around this and the work you all do tirelessly.  As this club's leader, it certainly provides me constant pride to know and work with all of you.  

Thanks very much to Alice Meunier for demonstration and leading the project last week - scrap bag for our sewing rooms.  There were quite a few completed bags before the end of our meeting.  Very easy written instructions to follow.  There is still a supply of the printed instructions for anyone who missed the project demo.  And I'll be sending the instructions out in pdf form when I return from this trip.  (Yeah! I now have my printer back to talking to my Dell Desktop and thus can scan again!!)

Last Saturday I handed out copies of "Thread Therapy with Dr. Bob" that are talking notes of Bob Purcell, President of Superior Threads.  This is thorough and complete information on threads and needles, too.  Do's, Don'ts, cotton, polyester, breakage, tension, what to use when, etc., etc.  I still have more copies, do please don't hesitate to pick up a copy of the handy information.  When troubleshooting our sewing/stitching problems, they tell us that 90-95% of the time it is "the needle" but definitely understanding all the threads on the market these days really helps very much, too.  

Show & Tell:

Janey Westra started by sharing rag doll quilts she's made up for great granddaughter and an apron, too.  Her construction of the apron is especially smart because she makes the sides longer (wider to wrap around a bit farther).  As Janey says, when cooking you're always wiping down you hands and where does that happen - sure enough along our "hips".  Most apron patterns don't quite cover that portion of our bodies well enough.  To this I say, Duh! - very smart idea!

Lu Karatzas - shared placemats she completed from Lois' demo - Lu adapted the "wedge" pattern for her daily table use.  Lu also turned in a completed dog bed!

 Lastly, she showed a cooler bag she made to fit an ice pack.

Elaine Kriese - I say again this lady knows sewing! and how to finish projects beautifully - Elaine made the oval place mats - Easter Eggs - and finished them with beautifully sewn binding - and then with leftover scraps from strips sets she pieced together coasters to use with the place mats - same binding - very nice!!

Alice Meunier - shared a fun "Bunco" Bag she made up for her neighborhood monthly bunco group to pass around the bunco supplies to the next hosting house.  Pretty cool to do that!  

Eileen Navikas - great to see Eileen because she can't make it to many meetings these days due to her husbands health (and her cutie doggie - 16 year old).  Eileen loves making the small quilts for babies and toddlers that we donate.  She shared one she recently made.  And Eileen shared and donated a completed twin size quilt top that she's not able to complete at this time.  (FYI - I'm going to add the batting and backing to this quilt top (it's so cute with kid's motifs as center of blocks) and we'll demo this as easy peasy stitch in the ditch and fun quilting that anyone can do.  We'll get that set up for April!  Thanks Eileen for this opportunity. Ladies, please pray for improvement and healing for Eileen's husband and keep her in your thoughts for strength.

Kathy Jones - nothing chenille about the fantastic pillow projects she shared created using crazy patchwork construction - very impressive and pretty completion of the squares with choice of fabrics for borders.

Lois Rose - designed using a bunny fabric for Easter on one side and a very appropriate "bug" motif fabric on the reverse,  made a table cover for one of her cutting/sewing table surfaces - for when she is not using that table surface or family/friends are visiting.  We all kind of had a chuckle because as we all know - Lois doesn't have "down time" because she cranks out so much and completes everything and more!  In fact, best quote of the day came from Susan Morris who commented, "I wanna know when it's not in use!"  Seriously.  Lois did share that she created two-sided table cover with one side made with bug motif fabric as fun for her family because as a young child her older siblings called her "the little bug" and still do kid her about it.

Mary Kondrad - wow'd us with the Christmas table quilt she made... and yes, she is sending us the directions and pattern.  This holiday beauty could be used as a small wall-hanging because it is so pretty.  Mary spent part of the meeting time finishing putting cars and trucks around the latest quilt she is making for yet another grandson.

Be sure to take a look at the spectacular quilt - made expertly and lovingly by hand - hand applique of each and every piece of the cars and trucks - detail to a "T" including the wheels.  I believe this is the 4th quilt like this she had made - that's tedious and love to a "T"!

JoAnn Colin - loves the chevron pattern - and shared adorable table runner she made up during the week using the fabrics she got for place mats - I did mention she loves working  up the chevrons!

On the blogspot you'll see pictures of the "color wheel" project I like to show from time to time.  I make up the kits to complete the color wheel garden.  The larger one is the valence I use i my sewing room - made using 2 inch squares as basis for each fabric set, smaller one is 1 inch squares basis for wall-hanging and the black example is also 1 inch squares and shows contrast of color between white and black backgrounds.

After discussion on Saturday, ladies concluded that we do want to donate all the pillowcases made during last three months to the Marion County Center for battered women and sexual abuse children.  Ladies, you produced an awesome array of lovely, fun pillowcases for young and old, so these will be perfect and be put to excellent use right here in nearby need.  Thank you all again for your time, talents and good work!

For April, let's focus on the cat hammocks again and try to complete the initial target supply for Marion County pet shelters.   We have plenty of the webbing strips needed for the four corners and we'll reach out to get a supply of fleece in and other nice soft flannels so that we can get them sewn up and delivered.

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

   

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(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts