Weekly Update - January 30, 2016

Hi Ladies, Happy start of new week here... We kicked off new Demo Calendar on Saturday and Pat Pipa is happy to report that there's lots of enthusiasm and ladies have already signed up for some fun and nice demos ahead.  Here's the calendar for February meetings - looks good!

Feb. 6 - Lu Karatzas - Key Chain Purse Demo - Here are supplies needed for this project:  •4 pieces of 8" long x 4" wide fabric (for front & back)

•1 piece 4" x 2 1/2" (for tab)

•1 zipper  6 or 7 inch is good but any length can be cut to size.

•key ring. (Lu will bring a bunch)

Feb. 6 - PJ's for bigger kids - I'll have a set there so ladies can see the finished set and see the pattern pieces and instructions ahead of our cutting session and serging session.

Feb. 13 - PJ Cutting Session - We've got $190 worth of fabrics to cut for boys and girls PJ bottoms.  And Thanks to Kathy Franklin, we have 36 Tee Shirts ready to pair and embellish with the bottoms as we make them as well.  This will be a terrific start to what could be an excellent charitable effort to help the Girl Scouts PJ Drive come December.  Nice thing is... we can cut them out, serge the basic seams, and then ladies only need to finish up waistline with elastic and leg hems!!!  That can easily be done just sitting watching a favorite TV program one night at home.  ELASTIC... clean out your craft bins and draws and see if you have any 1/2 inch to inch wide elastic odds and ends - we could make good use of those!!!

Feb. 20 - Janey Westra - Little African Dress - okay, this cute project got it's name because of all the charitable efforts for helping 3rd world countries - BUT - this is a cute idea for even close to home here in FL.  Our club gives to several shelters in Ocala and nearby Lady Lake and Wildwood, we could easily make these dresses for those close to home, too.  And ladies who have little granddaughters, you don't want to miss this demo.  You start with a pillowcase!!  Check your closets, want to get rid of some slightly used pillowcases, this is perfect advantage to do so.  Our club has lots of lace, bias tape, and other goodies to use embellishing.  

Feb. 27 - Janey Westra - Small Origami Bag - and these are adorable - fairly easy - and very complimentary to the small little dresses!!  This is Lunch & Learn Saturday!!  They will go together perfectly... No RSVPs necessary.

Looking ahead - March will be doing chenille potholders and paper piecing!!  We could use a couple more ladies showing demo's - don't be shy.  I promise you that you'll receive a wonderful audience of eager learners and the club will be very appreciative!!  

Lois Rose - Fractured Art Demo - Thank you again!!  Lois took the project start to finish on Saturday and gave lots of tips and extra help to ladies picking their fabric repeats and set up to start their own projects.  It will be fun to watch the finished pieces start coming in again this Saturday!!  

Show & Tell - here is one of those weeks that "blows you away" with creativity, time, talent, and inspiration!!  Thank you Ladies!!!

Lois Rose - "Every day table runner" (10min-1hr-2hr version depending on who you ask), more embroiderd states for herRow by Row WIP and Sharky's Row by Row "Storm at Sea" Block

Block with kit fabrics

Practice Block

Nancy Cartlidge - My Angel on Saturday for getting me on track with "mitering" of the receiving blankets!!!  Completed charity quilt - take a look at picture on blog - it is really very very nicely worked and finished!!  Easy project - scraps, straight seams!!!  Ladies I encourage each and every one to give these little projects a try - empty the scraps from our storage shelves, and enhance a little one's life with a quilt.

JoAnn Colin - not fleece blankets - 3 (1-2-3!) Valentine table runners for daughters

Kathy Franklin - 5 Cat Hammocks!!!!! 2 Table runners and 2 sweatshirt conversions for her granddaughters!!!  How's that for production this week... I'm envious!!

Close ups of Kathy's beautiful work

Eileen DiSanto - Doggie Bed - like I saiid... each and every one counts.  Sometimes its the smallest, slightest project or charitable effort that really boosts us all along and gives inspiration needed.  These are just how I think about the doggie beds we make each and every week.  You should have seen the TABLE FULL sitting off to the side that Lois Rose took home for delivering.

Jane Swafford - Sweet Jane made up a STACK of pillowcases this week - adorable pinks and blues for girls and boys.

Jane Motrinec - finished up a charity quilt from scraps collected off the shelves - check it out - very nice use of strip piecing and cutting - beautiful piece completed.

Ellen Hein - Men Fidget Quilts - THESE ARE ALL WOW ONES!!  I just had to use CAPS because frankly you all know how special I feel these fidget quilts are, each one a masterpiece for sure and will be surely loved and used... but Ellen took some discarded pillow shams from previous job and fashioned up very beautiful and very creative pocketed fidgets with gadgets and stuff that just amaze me how nicely done.  I don't often get "blown completely away" but this is one of those times.  And I saw a WIP one she was working on during the meetings that has "Dreams" and pockets - can't wait for Saturday to see this one. 



 And Ellen who is very crafty with her serger then serged up napkins for her daughter using discarded back pieces - a whole set of pretty blue ones!!

 Brenda Severa - Valentine Hexagon - that we all want her to show Demo on this process!!  Table Topper and WIP String Quilt - very nicely styled with a "solid" white grid running thru out the quilt pattern.  I'm hoping that Brenda will get on calendar to show making these quilt blocks as well!  I think she used old telephone book pages and these work terrific, but they can also be used with paper piecing, foundation piecing and just plain string piecing... end products all the same... just fun to look at and decide on technique you want to go with!!  You'll see Brenda's fun.

Pat Pipa - Scarves - 2 - made using the Linda Parr knitted and deconstructed scarf pattern - very nice - Pat is making them for Busy Hands Happy Hearts to sell

Alice Meunier - UFO completed - baby quilt - using blocks she had on hand, making the sandwich, having fun with her Bernina BSR (balanced stitch regulator) that makes stipling fun and easy to do and ENJOY!   Beautiful... makes me want to put my BSR foot on my Bernina and spend and afternoon doing the same thing.

Marie Bray - shyly forced into showing (but still won't let me take her picture) - her completed Quilt Block Carrier and Seam Roller - Marie is a seamstress, now working on a skirt for a friend, and we all know these sewers like the "hams" and seam rollers for each and every seam!!  Well done!  If you're a seamstress, check in with Marie while she's here from England and get yourself one of these handy dandy sewing notions made up!

Ladies, I've said it before... but this week I'm going to get it done... it is time this club has an official Quilt Label... so first prototype will be ready for Saturday.  I'll design it up, embroider out with my machine and then leave one line open so that you can print/write you name in with an archival pen.  Long about time!!  Thank you for all your do.  

I was at church this morning and saw the entire front of church lined with finished craft items by the church's various craft and sewing groups that are done for charities that go nearby and all around the world... from bears to "plarn mats" to prayer shawls, tied quilts, sweaters, and on and on and on.  Ladies, we are talking a year long effort and many many ladies who do nothing but the specific charity projects over and over.  I want to give a shout out to Fabric Fun Ladies because week after week I see what efforts you do and the completed pieces mount up!!!  No organization or club has it over what you all accomplish.  God bless all of you.

As always, I encourage you to bring any ideas, needs or concerns to my attention.  This club is meant to be fun and social learning and doing.  I want you to feel very good about the time we spend together each week.  We always have our ongoing charity work in the background and then we try to make it entertaining and information with show and tell and demos.  And we certainly want ladies on every level of sewing enthusiasm and expertise to be inspired and joining in.  That's my personal goal as the club leader.  We've not cluttered up our time with rules, business meetings, or committees.  It is meant to be sewing crafting fun and sharing time only.  

Please use the link below, just need to click on it, to go to the blog spot and see the wonderful pictures from last Saturday and all the weeks... thanks Lois Rose for your continued updating and maintenance of this wonderufl resource for our club.

Have a good week and hope to see lots of happy faces and show and tells next Saturday, 

As always, God bless you and your families, 

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

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts

Weekly Update - January 23, 2016

Hi Ladies:  Demo Ladies Wanted:  No previous experience necessary, any level of sewing okay - beginner to intermediate - projects big and little - all good!!    We are starting a Club Calendar that will be available every week on the front sign-in table.  Pat Pipa has volunteered to assist with the Club Calendar to set up future demos.  It's very easy to get on the calendar - see Pat or me at any meeting.  We'll look at the calendar and pick a week that is convenient to your schedule.  As with everything in our club and definitely pertaining to life here in The Villages, if you put your name on calendar to present a demo, it is not written in concrete - it/your week can be changed easily.  We all have our schedule and appointments and fun activities, so we must always remember to be flexible.  

And as always, any given week may have a demo listed, but that is not to say that another demo can't be added to that day.  Our club's interests levels range all over the sewing crafting spectrum.   So yeah, come across something during the week and want to put it in on Saturday - that's fine, we'll adjust and make room for you!  

There occasionally are weeks we do not do demos/show and tell when we are working on a critical need charity.  You will receive notification of that well advance as well.  Just because we'll have a "demo calendar", I'll still keep you up-to-date with this weekly email on anything upcoming.  For instance, I'm going to designate 2nd Saturday in February - February 13 - for cutting out the PJ bottoms with fabrics we have on hand.  These PJ bottoms will be for the Girl Scouts Christmas PJ drive.  As leader of this club, I'm hoping that over the course of this year, we are able to really make a big impact of say 100 PJ sets for the older kids sizes.  Fabrics on hand will make a good start toward that goal.  

There will be a separate email regarding demo for next Saturday - Fractured Art Wallhanging by Lois Rose.  This is the project that was done last spring I believe... but Lois does have some updates to share.  Separate email contains information about fabric requirements.  This coming Sat. we'll attempt to set aside a portion of the room specifically for this demo.  I want to see how it goes so that in the future, for demos - ladies will know that is going to be the spot where attention is strictly given to the presenter and project being demo'ed.

Please remember that our room is available starting 12:15 PM on Saturday, so ladies bringing in their machines have plenty of time to set up and then chat around the room before 1:00 pm show & tell time.  

Show & Tell:

Nancy Cartlidge - Receiving Blanket - this is the one!  It is fun and easy - great little project and with a little stuffy added to include along... just adorable gift for any new baby and great for charity, too!

Jan Motrinec - bag and dresser covers - beautiful cutwork with her embroidery machine!!









Susie Pendry - little stuff scrappy rabbit - so cute - we want a demo!!

Bev Minnerly - another project straight from her Sew News Magazine (we all miss that publication!) sweatshirt jacket and handbag - made from lovely fabric - one of a kind - and Bev's matching designs - perfection!!

Lois Rose - placemats (hearts that "kiss") for Valentines and using the fusible vinyl that works so nicely and W.I.P. more rows of the family quilts

Lu Karatzas - Block Carrier and w key ring mini bags

 

Pat Pipa - Twister pattern placemats!  She's working on log cabin block placemats and sending out west to her granddaughter!

JoAnn Colin - pillows and charity blanket (pretty fleece of course!)

Linda Parr - gucci type "knitted" scarf - yes, first she knitted it together, then took it apart and tied knots... did you catch the "gucci" name... Linda uses beautiful... aka gorgeous!!! yarn from The Yarn Lady and the scarf is absolutely beautiful around the neck!

Micki shared her poncho and yarn scarf

Lunch was so yummy - always lots to share - I particularly loved Lu's grapes rolled in lemon jello!!  

Learn - I reviewed a bunch of Valentine project ideas and the pdfs for those are attached.  Be sure to look at the small wallhanging or tablerunner "Hearts A Flutter" with the 3-D hearts.  I demo'd how to make the block.  I'll have that with me on Saturday again in case anyone wants to see how easily the hearts flutter around the little 16 x 20 finished project.  

Altered Quilt Blocks - I've demo'd 10-20 of these over the last few years because they fascinate me how beautiful the projects turn out by taking what looks like ordinary square, strips, blocks, doing some "altering" and end up with a very different effect/affect.  One from last summer is using 3-4 different fabrics, sewing in strips, cutting A & B portions and then sewing together.  I'll have those blocks with me this coming Saturday again.  Eileen DiSanto has some fabric that she wants to make these blocks up into a quilt. It should be fun to look at Eileen's fabrics and the possibility ahead.  This is a very easy project because you only work with strips, strip sets, 45 degree angle cutting, and then sewing up blocks and rows again.  And you do not need to be exact-amundo-to-get-an-awesome-outcome!!!  The "altering" does all the WOW work for you!!

OK - have a fun week - January gives us a bonus 5th Saturday - and that's always a plus!!  Remember, take stock and see if there is a project you'd like to demo, and see Pat Pipa or me and get on the club's calendar!!!  We promise to give you a captive audience of eager learners with enthusiasm for all. 

One last thing - I was asked (again) to include pdf(s) on FAUX PIPING BINDING.  Two documents are attached.  Both are very good.  1 is 3 pages and 2nd is 6 pages.  They both describe the technique perfectly, great pictures with step by step.  This is my very favorite new technique to play around with and I'm starting to experiment with changing the strips widths to play around with the "faux piping" part.  But the beauty of this binding technique is in the mitered corners that just "make themselves".  I'll be happy to show this any week, just ask me.  

Take care and God bless all,  

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

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts

Weekly Update - January 16, 2016

Hi Ladies - Next Saturday is 4th Saturday - Lunch & Learn!!! No RSVP's and we didn't even make a sign up sheet for ladies to sign and list what they would bring. I'm going to bring chicken strips.  So it is wide open! 

Nancy Cartlidge shared a terrific new tutorial with us for making Mitered Receiving Blankets using a 40 inch square and 30 inch square - each measuring, sewing, and wallah perfectly mitered corners and wonderful receiving blanket done.  So the video link is below for you to click on and goes directly to Missouri Star Quilt Co. Jenny Doan's terrific tutorial.  And attached is a pdf of instructions with excellent pictures to follow along - the pdf is 11 pages long, so maybe you will only need to print out first two pages and browse the other 9 just by saving to your documents folder.  

Some of you know that I'm going to be grandmom again in June... oh baby, I'm so ready for this one!!   This is my UFO year to complete as many projects as possible that have been in the works for years cluttering up my sewing room and life.  But, I will be making several new projects for new baby in June.  I went to Missouri Star Quilt Co. website last night and got a few pretty baby flannels ordered, hopefully they'll be here by end of week and I'll make up the two receiving blankets that I've purchased these flannels to make.  This is an easy peasy project and we will be demo'ing it on Saturday.

Thank you to Marge MacCulay for her wonderful and detailed demo on cutting squares, squaring up fabric, and getting the most out of fabrics, especially scraps!

Thank you to Lu Karatzas for her inspirational demo on creating your very own quilt pattern and the process to get it on paper, buy perfect fabrics, and get to sewing.  Lu has made very detailed, creative quilts for her family members and each one begins with a theme or event and how she develops a quilt to memorialize the special occasions in the family.  Pretty cool stuff!!

I shared how to make the Block Carriers that come in so handy when we are sewing projects to keep our blocks and pieces secure, together, and wrinkle free.  We still have 3 or 4 "tubes" left for any ladies who want to make a carrier for herself.  

Show & Tell:

 Lu Karatzas - beautifully embellished shoe gift from her brother, her shirt she was wearing made for her by granddaughter... passing on the creativity.

Joan Thomas - Pictures of lovely window treatments made for her lanai... Joan's background is home dec - anyone want great ideas or help, seek out Joan!

 Lois Rose - Lovely Valentine wreath, embroidered wallhanging depiction of our Risen Lord, and WIP Work in Progress - stand back for this one... it's going to be a journey all in itself!!!

JoAnn Colin - 2 charity blankets made with one layer fleece, beautiful finish on "top" and terrific alternative to tying the edges - got to see in order to appreciate!!

Ellen Hein - pillowcases - lovely assortment and finished quilt top for charity

Ruth Campbell- dog bed and cat hammock!!

Mary Nazgiewicz - 5 cat hammocks!!

Me - 2 UFO's quilted and being bound, "cowboy/cowgirl" one with boots is going to doggie Bailey's Vet - chiropractor - who comes in from Missouri every month to provide chiropractic treatments to horses in Ocala and dogs here at Buffalo Ridge Animal Hosp.  Our 10 year old has been under her treatments for 5 years, she's like a puppy, and without this... Bailey could not  use her hind legs prior to starting treatments.  It's been pretty amazing for us.  

Please check out the blog by the link below to see all the pretty pictures from this week's show and tell.  

Receiving Blanket Tutorial Video on Missouri Star Quilt Company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwdNqMZ8Ro&feature=player_detailpage

Remember Lunch & Learn this coming Saturday - till then, have a great week and as always, God bless all of you and your families, 

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

Club Leader, Fabric Fun Arts & Crafts