Weekly Update - Septembe 12, 2015

Becky gave a great demo on making a fabric basket.

Hi Fabric Fun Ladies - especially our seasonal ladies who'll be making their journeys back to The Villages soon - be safe in your journeys and be careful of your health.  One of our club members, Audrey Philips, over did and pushed herself getting here in a move over from the coast, found that very detrimental to her health - thankfully is recovering very well and getting stronger better than ever - but she's getting ready to "move" again within The Villages, and this time around she's letting others do the heavy work!!  It's one of the things we seniors have to learn - let go - don't do it all - and we learn it in increments... don't we!!  Talking about health - September Lunch & Learn - will be September Salads!!  September 26th bring a salad to share and learn/re-learn a wonderful tablerunner pattern to make.  Last week's email had the fabric requirements needed.  And with some of our new techniques and machine feet, there are many and fun, easy ways to embellish and take these tablerunners "up a step"!!  Pat Pipa will get us all started with this easy holiday gift making idea.  

Reminder - this Saturday - Sept. 19th - No Club Meeting

Attached are a few recipes - our club comes across some of these yummy things from time to time - really we ought to do a cookbook - I know we've talked about it from time to time - sorry, I'm just not organized enough to get that done.  I have started a Recipe folder in Fabric Fun's computer file now.  In the Show & Tell for last week, you'll see pictures of Lu K's terrific Recipe Pot Holder gifts she's making for family and friends this year.  When she talked about "Mystery Quiche" one all ears perked up - who doesn't like quiche!  It is the perfect family breakfast, and for every holiday gathering our family has at least two or three quiches in the morning.  Then, we're able to eat on them all morning and early afternoon until time for the main meal.  Works like a charm usually.  Lu's recipe is one I've not seen any like before, so yeah - thanks for a new take!!  I've attached Lu's Mystery Quiche along with two other pretty good ideas for fall cooking - Cabbage Rolls and Calico Beans Casserole.  There's several other fun recipes from Lunch & Learn meetings over the years, and I'll get them "sorted out" to send along over next couple months - while it's "on the radar screen". 

Congratulations to Lois Rose who won Second Place Prize in Quilting Hub's Shop Hop Contest for visiting the most shops during the required time frame.  Talk about lady with a plan... Lois saw it, made it, did it, and all during a horrific time of adversity for her!!  My take... she really was the First Place Winner!!! 

Faux Piping Binding - this is a previous demo and attachment.  Some of us are finishing up couple projects and using this very technique that is a very easy WOW! factor maker.   There are two tutorials attached - both have very good pictures with the step-by-step descriptions, though the colors used (contrast) in the doc titled "Faux Piping Binding" are not so "Wow" to me.   I more often use the pdf document called "Faux Piped Binding" and only ever print out the first page of that document.  

Show & Tell - be sure to click on link below so you can see all the wonderful pictures that Lois takes each week.  She certainly makes sure we stop, hold our project, and smile pretty "for the birdie"!!

Micki showed some of her examples of quilt tops made from simple blocks. (It's not easy to make Micki stop talking long enough for a photo smile!!)  There are still precut blocks available for anyone willing to take our charity quilts for Chistmas challenge.  Easy project and plenty of time to finish one before Thanksgiving- see Lois for blocks and backings.

Add caption

In-the-hoop mini purse

Lois Rose - quilts, book (awesome fabric one for the charity quilts) embroidery purse.

soft book

Quilt for great-niece

Charity quilt top

Carol Riggs - scrappy squares top!! Yeah!!

Recipe potholders

Yin Yang pillow

Lu Karatzas - recipe pot holders, Yin & Yang pillow.  Cute story about squares Lu using for these potholder gifts.  As part of scrappy squares, Lu donated in some squares she cleaned out of her sewing room supplies.  Then she started making the potholder gifts - leftover fabric and scrappy squares perfect for these - Lu remembered couple squares leftover from quilt she made for love one 15 years ago for wedding - yes, she had donated the squares in for our use in the scrappy charity projects.  Lu looked back for them - thankfully, they were still on table the next week - so now Lu is able to use these perfect size quilt blocks for recipe pot holders to give to the married couple 15 years after the quilt!!

Donation pillowcases

Jane Swafford - Pillowcases - I think it was 4 more this week - perfectly made for young children to adore.    Ladies, I'd like to challenge us - check your fabric stashes, flea markets, or just use our coupons to gather up some children's fabrics to use for the pillowcases for the childrens groups we donate to.  We've ran out of the kids novelty fabrics on the shelves, so even if we just find pieces that are 9" X 42" that's the size need for the pillowcase bands. 

Sample Table runners

Pat Pipa - Shared example of tablerunner she'll demo for Lunch & Learn on Sept. 26th.  Please remember that Pat said get your two fabrics cut to size - 1/2 yard for back and outside border and 1/3 yard for front/main.

tissue box cover

in-the-hoop mini purse

 Audrey Philips - Christmas purse - embroidered beautiful and tissue box finished from the easy project a few weeks ago.

Folded Fabric Star block

Linda Parr - shared a pretty block that someone gave to her wonderful Mom, Helen Foxx who we all remember so fondly for her love of fun, life and especially sharing sewing crafting fun with us on Saturdays at SeaBreeze.  Linda asked about how the block was made.   It looks like some of the Christmas blocks made using Origami Fabric Folding Technique.  If anyone specifically knows about this particular block or pattern, please be sure to email me back.  Be happy to hear from you!

One note:  About those beautifully made and embroidered purses Lois and Audrey shared that they made with their wonderful embroidered sewing computer machines.  These are made "in the hoop" projects and they are digitized designs created, patented and sold - specifically for Lois and Audrey - Anita Goodesigns.  BUT!  Ladies, we have looked at making "flowers" in several fun, easy, various sewing ways just using our "vanilla sewing machines" or even just using some of the fusible interfacings and battings available to us today.  Use similar flower petals shapes, fabric, fusing, sew satin stitches along the edges, stack petals together, stitch up the same size zippered purse (we've made these before, too) add on (EMBELLISH) the front of the purse with your made flower and you will have pretty much the exact same project completed!!  Use novelty fabrics, use Christmas color fabrics, whatever season, etc., and you can be pretty on target for the same Anita Goodesign projects. 

Last Hint - comes from Audrey Philips - Fabric she used for her Christmas Purse came from THE DOLLAR STORE!!  Audrey suggests using the Damask Napkins sold 2 for $1 at The Dollar Store.  She shared one in package for us to see.  These napkins are 100% Polyester - so yes, they are washable.  That, ladies, is what I call "A HOOT!"

Glad I mentioned The Dollar Store - Reminder on Sept. 26 Lunch & Learn week, Audrey will be distributing the owls for our October 3rd Owl Crafting fun.  The owl bases are $1 - this is going to be sew or just plain SO much fun!! 

Last Sunday I was able to go with Joy Stanton to visit Kay Flanagan over at Citrus Rehab Nursing Home.  Kay is comfortable and her family makes sure she has daily visitors.  Her room is beautifully set up and maintained for her to keep her "up to date" on friends and family.  Kay continues to love cards - so BJ will have a card out for us to sign on Sept. 26th! - and she'll get it promptly mailed for us.  I'm going to try to make another visit over before end of month, but I'm definitely scheduled to go on Oct. 6th.  Her son Bob has a detailed schedule of visitors to cover all the days that he will be away during early October for a family wedding.  Please keep Kay in your thoughts and prayers.  Citrus is very easy to drive to, just under an hour I think easy access right across 44. 

Time to sew... God bless all,

 *´¨)
 ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts

Weekly Update - September 5, 2015

I received Micki's email after I published these photos, so you will find it at the end of this blog, below the photos.  It was a light turnout last week.  I'm guessing many people had company for Labor Day.

Reminder:

September 12 - Becky Chianese will demo the "one hour fabric basket" - her demo will not take too long, so you can bring your machines and easily sew up  your own basket.  Becky provides the following supply list needed -  1/2 yard for exterior of basket and fat quarter for lining.  One yard of thermolam.  You can use a fat quarter for exterior, however you will need extra fabric for the handles.    (I am buying a supply of thermolam - Pellon one-sided lofty fusible - that I will sell off to ladies at the fair price to just recoup the money I put out for the supply.)  You will only need about a fat quarter piece of the thermolam.  Picture of the basket is attached to this email.  We do have a pattern for this basket.  Becky adds, "It measures 7" high about 10" long and about 7" inches wide.  Big enough if a person made it in Christmas fabric you could use as a gift basket."  I think it's perfect basket to put cookies in for a nice hostess gift, too. 

We can also continue working our charity "squares" quilts.  Backing will be provided.

SEPTEMBER 19 - NO MEETING - SEABREEZE SPECIAL EVENT

 Micki started by showing some different ways to turn simple squares into more interesting blocks.

She also showed an example of a strip quilt.

For show & tell, Lou showed an untra soft baby afghan she made.

She is teaching herself to Crochet and she also showed how her first attempt got out of shape because she crochets tight in one area and loose in another.  We suggested she turn this into a lovely soft scarf.


















The last 3 items for show & tell were great examples of how you can do different things with the double vision quilts we have been working on.

 Eileen DeSanto Made hers into a baby blanket.



Carol Riggs made hers into a slightly larger quilt with a soft green border.



 Lois Rose used several yellow fabrics and a red binding to set off her quilts.

Hello... sorry it's Thursday and just writing.  I came home from last Saturday's meeting more enthused than ever before - just such fun working with squares, talking about creative ways to arrange and sew them together, looking at plain basic patterns, going from there!!  It was fun, fun, fun - just simple squares.  And Lois had stacks and stacks over there for us to pick and choose from.  We had a small group but it was mighty in sharing, learning, and doing.  And we have two plastic bins full of squares ready to take and sit and sew up.  I brought home three short stacks of squares and have made up 5 tops using them.  One top started with a large center square and grew from that.  Couple others were inspired by just the color scheme of the squares.  Simple and fun working together.  These tops will go for charity.  We're going to find a worthy cause to donate to especially for the holidays ahead, similar to what you all did last December.  Personally, I'm making small pillows, pillowcases, tote bags, and plan to make some small "stuffies" to go with these blankets and small quilts I'm making.  So if you're in the dollar store and see some nice little books or stuffies, these can go a long way to put smiles on little faces. 

Yes, we're still doing doggie beds - every week!, cat hammocks, Fidget Quilts, pillowcases, etc., etc. - Just last week, Lois Rose delivered another batch of cat hammocks and doggie beds up at Marion County shelter on our behalf - thank you ladies! and thank you, Lois!!

This Saturday - Becky Chinese demos "Hour Fabric Basket" - yes, there is a pattern, yes it can take "an hour" but we all have seen Becky's very fun, precise, and step by step demos before - so she'll work us thru the pattern and make it all easy peasy for us.  This pattern calls for "thermolam" which is basically a fusible batting that gives that gives loft and stability to these kind of sewing projects and others, like tote bags.   I will have thermolam on hand for ladies to purchase the size they need for their project.  It's one of those products always nice to have on hand.  Fabric needed:  1/2 yard for exterior and handles and fat quarter (18" x 21") for interior.  If you have fusible fleece - that works same as "thermolam". 

Show & Tell:

Lu Karatzas - baby afghan

Carol Riggs - double vision

Lois Rose - double vision

Eileen DiSanto - double vision

Thank you ladies for all your sewing and donations you are making.

It's never too late to join in the September Squares fun.   And this week, I'll need to "sandwich" up some of these tops that I've created this week.  Next, I'll start quilting the quilts... this part is just the best - going to share grid quilting, echo quilting, channel quilting, free motion and my very favorite past-time just sewing beautiful serpentine stitches in various widths and lengths in various patterns all over the quilt top.  Couple of the tops have some "A" word on them - Applique - so that gives terrific opportunity to show how echo quilting alone can get the job done easily.  And Echo quilting can be done using either walking foot or free motion - it's your choice - and what perfect time and place to try this stuff out than with our charitable quilts effort.  Again I say... you cannot do wrong!!  It is all good, they turn out beautiful, and you will have fun and learn - just try it!  You will think (and say), Wow, it's was that easy!!

Perfect project this week just in time for holiday gifts and ideas - One Hour Fabric Baskets! 

I'm attaching to a separate email some of the easy patterns we looked at last week for working with squares.  And some other information that I've included before but some ladies asked that it be transmitted again. 

God bless all of you and God bless America!!

 *´¨)
 ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·'      Micki MacCumbee

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts