Weekly Update - August 8, 2015

Hi Ladies - Welcome to Kathy Franklin who joined our club yesterday all the way from Orlando, FL.  Kathy's sister, Susie Pindry, joined in several weeks ago (and I think has made about 60-75 cat hammocks in her short time already!).  Our club now has a 2nd sister duo, and I'm happy about it, and of course, jealous at the same time!!  It's been a joy watching Sue Campbell and Jane Swafford over the years with not just their friendship but love and how they enjoy their hobby of sewing crafting together.  Kathy's just getting started in sewing, bought a machine now, and eager to learn and do.  These four ladies are the heart of how this club began and has grown, to share and learn for all sewers, beginners to advanced, quilters, crafters, seamstress, home dec, to name a few topics - by hand and machine - we kind of get into it all.  

Last Saturday we continued our stripping adventure and there are some pretty projects in the works and you'll see some during the show & tell.  Please consider looking at the "EdgeStitch Foot" and "Open Embroidery Foot" for some of your machine stitching.  I've attached a couple pdf's that have explanation and exercise for these feet and how they can aide us to make those perfect fancy stitches that are always beautiful additions to projects.  Don't have the fancy stitches on your machine, these feet are still useful when using variegated threads for sewing around projects and couching lovely yarns and fibers as embellishments.  

Carol Riggs gave everyone her "Snap Purse" Demo on Saturday - and Lu Karatzas devied out lots of tape measure lengths for ladies to make their own bags now.  Thank you, Carol, you make beautiful snap purses for sure and Lu - you're just a big help always!!

Next Saturday, I'm sharing couple binding options for our Double Vision Wallhangings - they are not your usual run-of-the-mill bindings.  But, I will have very quick demo on basic binding that everyone starts out with - it's just tried and true - what's that saying about learning to ride a 3-wheel before you get on a 2-wheel bike - sort of like that.  It's necessary to learn the basics of bindings.  That provides your foundation that will give you success every time whether you do some embellishing or variation later on.   

4th Saturday August - Lunch & Learn - Let's do Hors d'oeuvre August!  Yes, what's your favorite one-bite before or during dinner item?  We might need to take down recipes with this one because we can all use new ideas for these ymmies here in The Villages where we're always going to a party, meeting, or function with opportunity to bring a homemade (or store bought!) item to share.  That's "Lunch" and "Learn" will be those pretty pouches with zippers - so yes, the zipper foot! and plastic canvas and an unexpected twist that even I didn't see coming!!  And just in time for kids' school supplies, too.  

Yes, I've been having fun this month with some of the sewing exploration but eventually I've got to get down to business and do up some projects planned for winter and holiday giving.  

Speaking about which - charitable sewing is a great way to enhance our holiday spirits and giving fun.  Last year this club did a fast and furious quick turnaround project for a shelter in Wildwood to provide a whole big bunch of quilts for gift giving there.  Let's look at doing something similar this year, too.  Maybe the same shelter, or maybe someone has a new need in the area, or could point to some other place.  Don't be shy, our hearts are big, and we a have slew of material on hand that will fit our purpose.  

September Squares - gearing up with fun ideas for working thru all the fabric squares Lois Rose has been cutting and organizing for - charity quilts!!  Ladies, can't help but show you some Fun with Simple Squares because it's boundless... just as sewing up simple strips can get you unique patterns.  Simple seams, simple shapes, spectacular stuff. If you're following along with Foot Book, my emphasis September will be more "techniques" than machine foot know-how.  But the overall emphasis will be simply fun sewing with squares.  Please plan to bring your machines every Saturday you can because we'll have squares and patterns to sit and sew.    Lunch & Learn for September will be 10-minute tablerunner - great pattern and project for our holiday tables and gift giving!!  Pat Pipa is going to do the demo for us - always a favorite with club ladies.  And don't forgets - Sept. 12th Becky Chinese will demo "One Hour Fabric Basket" - again good timing for gift giving and setting on our table runners with holiday candies and other yummies.  Coordinate the table runner and basket for a holiday ensemble gift!  Oh, don't get me started...!

Show & Tell:

 

 

Pat Pipa - Wallhanging ! This is a lovely Welcome Fall home dec project with my kind of sewing - topstitching to accent and add 3-D, add on embellishing, beautiful panel made WOW!

Mary Ann Emrick - Camo Cat Hammocks - yea kitties - and lots and lots of pillowcases made by her friend Charlotte a member of MEQ club that meets Tuesday mornings at Big Cypress.  Side Note here - Please give MEQ a big shout out from FFAC of THANKS for all the support and sewing some members have given our charitable sewing over the years - very terrific and big thanks!!
 

Jane Swafford - sewed up another one of her designer perfect pillowcases to donate!

 

 

Carol Riggs - guess...???... yes, you're right - Snap Purse!!   Our one-liner girl is enjoying a one-item sewing spectacular time!!

 

 

Sue Campbell - pillowcases - see my point about Sisters Duo - Sue and Jane!!  These two ladies are perfect joys to know and they sure do beautiful sewing!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lois Rose - shared a couple more of the 12-month tissue box embroidery fun she's been having, and her Double Vision wallhanging - check it out - perfect use of altering her foreground panel's strip widths and "staggering" for very WOW! project turnout.  Beautiful!!

 Bev Minnerly - shared a whole bunch of stuff starting with pillowcases, giving doll clothes (and she's going to show us some of the giving dolls, too!), her gorgeous Double Vision project! and another panel that has a defect.  She got the panel for pennies at a yard sale years ago and guess what, it is perfect for the Double Vision type project.  Bev's going to have fun with that one!

 

 

Susie Pindry - 24 more cat hammocks - check out the beautiful stack of loverly sewn kitty comforts sitting in her lap in the picture that Lois took for the blog.  What can I say, this lady alone has kept this one charitable effort way over the top!!

Lu Karatzas - shared her finished crochet'd "Messenger Bag" - with zippered pocket, shaped lining, just great work. Lu loves taking basic sewing and doing it right but adding her own ideas in to do design and finishing.  I just marvel at it all because this is great use of energy and talent.  Lu also shared a wallhanging quilt from 2000 (we know because of her LABEL!) and its story.  A beautiful watercolor, fused grid quilted project, of a special family island - great stuff!!

 

Eileen DiSanto - shared her Double Vision work in progress.

I shared a Doggie Blanket that i finished up for my grandson, Reed.  One of the week's the two boys were here, Reed had to come to FFAC with me a little early for set up, so he sat and sewed up a whole bunch of those upholstery fabric squares.  He sewed twosies, then foursies, then sewed the foursies rows together.  I just took the top, added a pre-quilted bottom to it, some topstitching, and now I'll send it up to Reed for his new puppy Coal, his 6 month old labradoodle.  And I shared the bird panel small quilt completed from the Double Vision small version panel demo.  Besides the top stitching with decorative stitches, I embellished its border with couched on yarns.  It's hopefully going to make some small child a happy napper very soon.

Big Thanks goes out to Chris Moore of Village of Hillsboro who once again made purchase of two large pieces of fleece and flannel and bought in to donate to FFAC for our charitable sewing projects - This is so nice! - To receive brand new, large pieces of fabrics we love to use for our kitty hammocks, doggie beds and quilt sewing for charity.  We could use the fun children's cotton fabrics for pillowcases and quilt tops.  If you are in your other club meetings and come across ladies who want to donate in some way, maybe mention that we are always in need of the children's fabrics for charity sewing, especially large pieces for pillowcases. Just mentioning this in case a time or occasion presents itself.  I'm going to make an effort to get to WalMart and check out their sale fabric and pick up some large pieces for the club to use for pillowcases and other projects for charity.  Thanks as always!

Have a lovely week all.  Please continue your prayers for our first responders, military men and women and all their families, and our great nation that seems to be reaching a time in its growth where it can continue its greatness and freedom or it can continue the slippery slope into further debt and moral decay. 

We all believe in our freedoms and love our lives, but that didn't come free and it will not continue without our due diligence as citizens to promote what we know to be true.  We are a country built on freedoms and rule of law set forth in our Constitution and founding documents.  We are conservatives, liberals and moderates to varying degrees in our two party system, Republican and Democrat labels. 

There are big differences in the two parties for sure, but we all enjoy our freedoms and want that - D Americans and R Americans all agree on that!!   However, just this week it was very startling to hear the DNC Chairwomen stumble over the question posed to her, "What is the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist?"  She stumbled, did not answer and from her point of view could not answer the question.  I don't think any of us middle Americans in either party want to be headed or considered a Socialist!  That is not America!  That is why it was so astounding to hear and think that the head of one of the political parties was posed the question and fumbled completely to not answer it.  Both parties have problems within, but the head of one is a big problem for sure.  That's my take - I don't want to be living in a socialist state and hopefully people like her will be put in the back burners this go around.  We need to bring leaders to the forefront of our parties again who are Americans and proud of it, proud to uphold and stand by our Constitution and Rule of Law.  Change - hogwash - America is great just how it was - it grows - it always corrects injustices - and it has morals and trustworthiness.  We don't need anymore progressive change-masters dividing us anymore!  God bless America and 2016 election cycle - it's here already!

God bless all of you,  

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(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts