Weekly Update - March 26, 2016

Please see end of this email for the supply list for next week's project.

We had a great turnout for our lunch and learn this week, and lots of delicious food. 
After lunch I began the meeting by bringing the group up to date on this week's donations.  Since we have been generating so many dog beds, I thought it was time to find the Sumter and Lake county shelters, so Ray & I took a ride last Thursday.  We found both facilities and donated 17 doggie beds to each.  In the future I plan to rotate between the 3 county facilities so they all get some of our many doggie beds.

We also delivered 14 quilts and 38 pillowcases to the Ocala Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Shelter, 10 fidget quilts to Brookdale Place at Freedom Point, and 20 fidget quilts to Hawthorne Village in Ocala. 
I still have unfulfilled requests from several memory care facilities totaling 72 women's fidgets and 40 men's.  I am filling the requests in the order they were received.  I currently have 30 women's quilts, 8 men's, and 4 patriotic.  That will allow me to take care of one more facility this week.  Thanks to all of you who continue to make fidget quilts for us to provide a little peace and comfort to those suffering from the many forms of Dementia.

Show & Tell:

 

 

Pat Pipa brought in 2 fidget quilts, one a man's and 1 a woman's.

Linda Parr started with 2 Easter "quilt as you go" place mats and a quilt top showcasing her first try at adding sashing.  Great job Linda!   But the item that brought tears to a few eyes was a knit afghan that she and her Mom, Helen Foxx, made together.   She has now donated this to one of the shelters we support.

Joan Thomas made a lovely crocheted red, white and blue lap blanket.

Donna Rissman showed a fidget quilt made into a U.S. flag. Beautiful!  Then she showed us 2 of her quick, easy Easter projects.The first was an egg shell decorated with a face and flowers in it's head and the second was a cute little draw string bag with bunny ears.  She had directions for the bunny bag available for anyone who wanted to make one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eileen DiSanto made a lovely patriotic fidget quilt

Mary Kondrad showed 2 cross-stitch Christmas stocking she is working on.

 JoAnn Colin was very busy this week!  She finished a charity blanket, a pile of little soft toys, and her own version of a twisty-turby hair towel.  The ones you can buy are always too small for anyone with any significant amount of hair, so she made her own, enlarged pattern. Nice work JoAnn.

Nancy Cartlidge came with a fidget quilt and a table runner

 

Ellen Hein brought 2 filled doggy beds and a fidget quilt.

 

 

 

 

 

MaryAnn Berlin brought a fidget quilt

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lois Rose brought 2 fidget quilts and 2 machine embroidered lace Easter baskets.

 

After show & tell, Lois gave out patterns and white felt to anyone who wanted to make a little polar bear.  Those who opted not to make a bear made fidget quilts, cat hammocks, or doggie beds. Everyone had a good time.

Next week B.J. is going to show everyone how to make a chenille potholder. To do this, you will need to bring the following supplies:

Note: This is a REVISED list to what BJ gave out last Saturday.

4 - 8" squares

1 - 7" square cotton batting

1 - 7.5" square

Sharp pointed scissors or a chenille cutter

Sewing machine

Walking foot if you have one.

See you all next Saturday.

Weekly Update - March 19, 2016

Hi Ladies - Next week is Lunch & Learn - Lois Rose will be leading the meeting with a demo "Little Bear Project".  All needed is a needle, thread and pins.  Lunch - bring something to share, just bring chips, whatever you choose, there is always plenty and terrific variety.

Fidget Quilts:  We made a bunch last Saturday, but fortunately or unfortunately (matter of perspective) there's a call for a bunch more.  Lois sent out letters to nearby memory care facilities, and requests for fidgets have been coming in.  Seems like the facilities are finally catching on to these comfort quilts.    Specifically, please see the separate email from Lois forwarded to you.

Please remember to ladies who took the Cornerstone Hospice Squares to make those special red, white and blue 36 inch square quilts, we should get those back by mid-April I'm thinking.  I don't think we were given a time frame, but let's make our own so that we don't let those 10 squares just hang out there a long time for them.

Thanks to Mary Ann Berlin and her sister visiting for sharing the wonder "Versatile Wave" purse and "French Kiss" tote.  The patterns call for using iron on (fusible) fleece, but the ladies have found that two products work better - Soft & Stable and Pellon Decor Bond.  Versatile Wave is a Susan Rooney pattern and French Kiss is Heritage Quilt Shop.

Fabric taking up too much room in a closet, or getting unfolded when you shift it all around??  Donna Rismann shared a quick tip with us on Saturday someone showed her recently.  It's folding up the yardage of fabric using a plastic quilting ruler - 5 inch, 6 inch - 8 inch - whatever is your choice.  Here are two you tube videos that show the quick tip - one is very short, the other goes into more depth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXlNl6PJwko&eb

c=ANyPxKpifbjLEOOko5abhITHmnDeg3HiJ9v160kXPMkbhQMq31-iTk_za8D_YD-qQQyJqHKA3aCLKqOSJYV9Hd4eia1pliIRsw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpQpV-Wt0eY 

Show & Tell:

BJ Herter - felt Easter bunnies

Pat Pipa - bunny & carrots baskets, fidget quilts, block made using Tube Quilting piecing method

Carol Riggs - diaper coverings - so adorable - Carol we want a demo!!!

 

Lois Rose - Her beautiful family row by row quilt completed, a charity quilt from donated blocks, wallet and a fidget quilt.

Mary Ann Berlin - quilt for charity

Nancy Cartlidge - little purses - a bunch! and travel pouch!





 

Mary Nazyeqicz - fidget quilt and cat hammock

 

Eileen DiSanto - little purse

Ruth Campbell - 2 place mats

Lu Karatzas - Hands Quilts for her son and family completed!

 Done with a quilt as you go method, this quilt looks just as beautiful from the back!


 

Marty Rhyne - quilt top, taggie green dog.

 










 

Me - I shared the 6 "I Spy" quilts made for some cute little ones we know.

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter and Spring Time ahead.  God bless to all and your families.  Special prayers for comfort are being sent out to Alice Meunier on the passing of her husband.  Everyone is saddened to hear about your loss. 

PS:  There are 3 bags full of scraps sitting in front of our shelves in the closet that need to be stuffed into doggie beds and sewn closed.  Yesterday was an incredible frenzy that produced about a dozen doggie beds!!  You ladies sure can stuff!!!