Thursday, September 29, 2016

September 28 Club Notes

Time is flying by, and our club has grown at an unbelievable pace.  We have only been together as a club for 3 and a half months, and we have already hit our maximum number of members (50), plus we have one person on our waiting list.  I sent a revision of our Rec News listing in this morning to show that we are a closed club.  However, as I mentioned yesterday, I will not discourage anyone from coming in to observe our meetings.  The only rule about that will be that only members can bring sewing machines.















On that note, I'm going to be sending out a survey in a separate email to determine how many members plan to bring there sewing machines and how many just come for the demos and do the projects at home.  This will give me a better idea of whether or not we would have enough electrical outlets and space if all 50 members decided to show up at once .
Also, I know we have a few paid members who have only come once or twice.  If this is just due to travel, or other temporary issues, no problem.  However, if there are any members who don't think they would be able to come more than a few times a year and who wouldn't be bringing their sewing machines in any case, please let me know.  I can refund your $10, keep you on the mailing list, and welcome you as an "observing" auxilliary member.  That would free up a spot for someone on the wait list. 

In other news, here is a list of announcements I made this week:
- We received a thank you letter from the Ocala Domestic Violence and Sexual assault Shelter.  I read it to the group, but I've also attached a copy to this email, along with a copy of their wish list.  A black and red shopping bag is set up on the donation table each week, to collect any items you wish to donate.  
- Linda Lynch found out that the Lady Lake Elementary school accepts Box Tops to Education as well as the can pop tops.  If you have any you can place them in the green-topped container as well.
- We have a couple more of the Hospice center blocks if anyone would like to make a red, white and blue quilt for the families of 20 yr military veterans.  These quilts should only be about 36-40 inches square and can be very simple, so let me know if you want to make one. I will actually be able to make 2 of them from the patriotic dryer sheet blocks that were turned in.    I will always get 5 more blocks when I turn in 5 quilts, since they need an ongoing supply.
-There is a gigantic estate sale coming up in October. I will send a separate email on that.

Show and Tell:


Pat Pipa brought in several walker bags she made for the Ocala Oaks Rehab center.  I am waiting until I get at least a dozen of these and will then deliver them, along with some fidget quilts.




Lu Karatzas showed her completed 60 degree table runner and a great fishing themed fidget quilt.
















Eileen Navikas brought a great fidget quilt with a rooster in the center.



Susan Morris showed her lovely completed 60 degree table runner.














Bev Minnerly brought a different design walker bag and a fidget quilt.











Jane Swafford showed a Mickey Mouse pillowcase.


Kathy Jones brought a fidget quilt and a cat hammock she made from one of my demo fractured art pieces. (I love it when these odd samples wind up in something useful!)









One of our new members, Laura Tomich, showed a wine bottle caddy and a purse she made.  Note: she did not have the bottle caddy pattern, she just looked at the ones shown last week and made it up.  We know she will be a great addition to our club.










I showed a fidget quilt, a set of placemats I made on my embroidery machine, and my latest quilt from the 2015 row by row kits.  





Beach Theme Row by Row Quilt 


I had fun with the Fruit Bottom ladies fabric on back and between the rows on front.
I also showed the work-in-progress quilt made from the first set of drier sheet blocks.  We have enough to make 2 twin quilts and 2 Hospice quilts so far.  We'll include a photo of those when they are done.


Marty Rhyne did a great job leading our demo today on how to make a microwave potato bag.  I attached the pattern to this week's email, including the instruction insert so you can make more and print out the use instructions if you give them as gifts.  I didn't get a chance to make mine until today, but I do have one hint to add.  If you have a walking foot, you probably want to use it on this project, especially during the last stitches around the sides, since you will be sewing through 6 layers of fabric and batting.

After the main demo, I showed some of the ladies who missed it or wanted a refresher, how to create the 60 degree table runner.  Some of the fabrics they brought in were challenging, but all were doable and I'm sure they will come out beautiful. 

Also thanks to B.J. for helping me cut up some non-cotton fabric strips for doggie beds, and to Nita for helping me sort another bag of scraps into strips, blocks, and doggie bed scraps.  I am always amazed by how much good, usable fabric we get in bags marked as doggie bed scraps.  We probably have enough strips for a half dozen more quilts at least, plus enough blocks to make one or two.

We also got 2 donations of heavier fabrics this week, great for walker/wheelchair caddies and dog beds.   

Next week's project is fabric pumpkins.  Just to make it easier, I will send out a note on this separate.
Have a great week everyone.

Lois Rose, Sewing N More Club Leader

P.S.  If you call me, please always leave a message.  I may be there, I just don't answer the phone until I hear a voice and know the person on the other end.


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Club Notes for September 21, 2016

This week started on a high note, with the article in the Daily Sun about our club, written by Ciara Varone.  I think she captured the true spirit of the club and the photo of the club members was great!  As a result of the article, several new ladies came to check us out. An old friend, Ellen Hein, is back in the Villages and she stopped by to pay her dues and make sure she is on our member list. She couldn't stay, and is traveling again for the next week or so, but she will be joining us once she settles in. Our membership is growing and we are rapidly approaching our cut-off number of 50 members.  We now have 42 paid members, 2 more snowbirds I am holding spots for, and 5 more prospective members who may be joining next week.  That means, if those 5 all pay their dues next week, there will only be room for one more member before we close membership.

***
Show & Tell

I was please to see how many of you brought in finished table runners from last week's project. Pat Pipa, Carol Riggs, Kathy Jones, B.J. Herter, Susie Pendry and I all showed finished table runners.  If anyone missed this project and would like to try it, just bring your border fabric in one week and I will show you how it's done.  It will only take 10 minutes for me to show you and we can do that after the scheduled demo for that week.  Just let me know in advance so I can bring my 60 degree ruler.
Pat Pipa
  Pat used a lovely Autumn print.                   Carol and Kathy used the same fabric, but each came out with subtle differences.  Both lovely.
Carol Riggs

Kathy Jones
B.J. Herter
Susie Pendry

 B.J.  choose a fun Halloween theme.



Susie went with roses





Lois Rose


I made mine reversible, Spring and Fall









In addition to the table runners:



Pat Pipa brought a fidget quilt
















Lu Karatzas showed the finished quilt for granddaughter(?) Lilly that she showed in progress last week.











Bev Minnerly showed more doll clothes she made from donated fabric.











Marty Ryne showed a stuffed monkey she embroidered with birth info for a friend's new grandson.












B.J. showed her finished "tuxedo" wine bottle caddy.








Eileen Navikas showed children's jeans she made for her sister to take to Haiti and donated a quilt she made from fabric scraps.








I showed a "rain" quilt I finished from some of the 2015 row by row kits I collected.

****



Thanks to everyone who helped me get all the boxes of donated charity supplies in and out of our meeting room.   Everyone dived into the boxes to select items for the various charity efforts we support.  Several fidget quilts were completed during the meeting and some more (including mine) were taken home to be finished.  Some waker caddies and cat hammocks were also turned in.  I also saw several ladies working on more of the drier sheet quilt blocks.   A few of us got together around a pair of tables and laid out completed quilt blocks and we found we had enough for 2 twin size quilts, plus more left over.  A bunch of the leftover ones were red, white and blue, so we asked those who are still enjoying making these to sew some more with this color scheme.  We will put together a patriotic theme quilt with these.

I also turned over one Hospice quilt this afternoon and got 5 more of the Hospice center blocks for anyone who would like to make one of these.  To refresh your memory, these are 36-40 inch square quilts, with the 12 inch Hospice block in the middle, that are given to the families of 20 yr veterans who were cared for at Hospice.

I have lost track, but if anyone still has one of these blocks and plans to make a quilt, can you let me know.  There is no rush to complete it, I just want to know who has them.

Next week's project is the microwave potato bag and Marty Rhyne will be leading the demo.  I will send out the supply list in a separate email.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

September 14, 2016 Club Notes

We had another fun afternoon. More members are bringing items for show and tell each week, and it is great!


 Audrey Philips made 3 pillows for her new home from a 10-minute pillow pattern.  The first 2 were straight fabric, but she had fun and embroidered the 3rd one.












Lu Karatzas showed a quilt as you go, reversible quilt in progress.  As usual, beautiful work and sh promised to bring it in again once it's finished.








Bev Minnerly gets the prize for the most items to show this week. She made 2 wine bottle cozies, a Christmas Wreath wall hanging, and a Sun Flower Wall Hanging. All of it beautiful.












Lu and Bev turned up wearing the same blouse and called themselves twins for the day.  



Eileen DiSanto showed her finished wine bottle cozy and some Dallas Cowboys pillow cases.









Kathy Jones made 2 bottle cozies and another pretty mesh bag.








Pat Pipa made 2 bottle cozies, one wine bottle size and a smaller one for her water bottle.








Nella Rose showed her finished all-season wreath wall hanging..




Jane Swafford brought in another pretty pillowcase.








B.J. Herter showed what she made from her husband's old jeans - 2 very pretty purses.

 





Carol Riggs got carried away and made 4 bottle cozies.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kim Hart finished her wreath wall hanging, but she could not be with us this week.  She is on her way to Wisconsin and is giving her wreath to her mother.  She sent me a picture, so it will be in the blog this week.




For today's project I demonstrated how to cut border fabric with a 60 degree ruler and turn it into an interesting table runner.  It was fun to see the different fabrics the ladies brought in and how each one is turning into a uniquely beautiful runner.   In a separate email, I sent out links to a couple of YouTube videos on 60 degree triangles, to supplement the demo.   In addition to the pattern I showed, the videos show several other patterns that can be put together easily using these triangle cuts.  I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of finished runners over the next few weeks, and maybe someone will try some of the other ideas too.
Video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOZOFMznckI
Video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o2rTVlmO5U
We did have a little mishap near the end of the meeting. One of our members cut her finger going too fast with a rotary cutter.  We got the finger bandaged and sent her off to urgent care.  I just heard from her and she is OK.  She needed 2 stitches.  This is a reminder to everyone to please be careful with all the blades, needles and the irons . A few weeks ago we had another incident, with a needle going through someone's finger.  We have to always remember we are working with tools that can be dangerous and we need to have our minds on our tasks.   There is never any reason to rush.  If we don't finish something in our 3 hour time slot, we can take a project home to finish or save it until the next week.  We are here to have fun - there are no deadlines on fun.
Hope to see you all next week. Stay safe.