Club Notes - October 28, 2020

 

Today I began the meeting by announcing our recent donations.

At the beginning of today's meeting the coordinator for Honor Flight quilts came to pick up the ones we had,   I gave her 4, including the one Charlotte dropped off last week (which I was able to complete over the weekend). 

Yesterday Ellen Hein delivered 33 fleece blankets to Busy Hands, Happy Hearts.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since SOS (Project Support Our Soldiers) sent them a request for help, donations of hats, mittens, scarves, sweaters and lap robes have been pouring in from groups all around The Villages. Mic Pickard, who is in charge of storing items for Busy Hands, told us that they collected over 750 items on Monday and filled 2 mini vans to deliver the items.

Mic went on to talk about the work SOS does.  Last year they were helping around 170 Veterans and their families and were able to find jobs and motels or other housing for most.  However, Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of veterans who have lost their jobs and, as a result, lost their homes has ballooned.  I believe Mic said the number now living in the Ocala Forest is now about 1,500.  This is way above what SOS has the means to support and they are looking for any assistance.

Show and Tell

Brenda Severa is back with us from her summer in Wisconsin.  She showed a Fall table runner she completed.

 

Pat Pipa showed 3 pillowcases for the Ocala shelter,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 a knit hat for her daughter (who is a doctor in Colorado), and a zipper bag to match a purse she made for herself last year.

 

 

 

 

New member Karen Kemp handed in a Hospice Quilt top. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 She also showed a baby seat cushion she is working on.  She saw an example online and developed her own pattern for it.  She made the cushion and is working on the cloth cover.  Karen has several great grand-children on the way and plans to make one for each of them. 

 

 

 

 

 

Suzanne Barron finished two zipper bags and said she learned a few tricks along the way.

 

 

 

 

Ellen Hein couldn't join us today but she did drop off 5 more completed quilts. 

 

 

 

 

 Ceal Petersen had created the quilt top for the red one, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

two were designed in club meetings with 8" blocks, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and I designed two with 5" blocks.

 

*******************

Anne Knoff dropped off more scraps for our dog beds.  She was looking for my GEM car to drop them in, but I had my car today so she couldn't slip them in as a surprise for me. ()   I am donating my GEM since I no longer have a real need for it, so all of you who have been dropping donations in it on Wednesdays will have to bring them in to El Santiago or drop them off at my house from now on.

We spent the rest of the afternoon sorting donated fabric, picking out squares to design quilts, or sewing.  I brought my Accu-Quilt Go-Cutter and cut strips and squares.   At the end of the day there were 3 boxes sorted, one for strips, one for squares, and one for white fabric.  The white will also eventually get cut into either strips for sashing or blocks to break up a design, as needed.

I now have some quilts that are appropriate for Halloween and I don't think I should save them.  Although I probably can't get there before Halloween, I will at least get to the Ocala Domestic Violence ans Sexual assault by Monday to deliver these quilts and some other items.  I will let you know what I give them in next week's notice.

In the meantime, stay safe.  Hope to see you next Wednesday.

Club Notes, Oct 21, 2020

 

We had 10 ladies in attendance this afternoon, including 2 new members.   That makes 5 new members in the past month.  We are very happy to welcome them and their talents into our group.

During announcements, I talked about a request that the Busy Hands, Happy Hearts club received for items providing warmth for families who have lost their jobs and are living on the streets.  I talked to those in attendance today about giving some of our quilts to them.  However, Pat Pipa contacted the organizers and they said they do not want to take quilts with batting because bugs tend to nest in the batting.  They will take fleece blankets however, and Ellen has been making lots of these. We will donate these.  The group requesting them is SOS, a veterans group that helps veterans that live in the forest, not SOZO kids as I had thought.

We are still looking for a group who can use some of the quilts we have created this year.

Show and Tell:

Ceal Pedersen took another stack of 5" squares last week and came back with another lovely quilt top.  I don't know why I couldn't find this photo Wednesday night when working on my laptop, but it showed up when I imported all the photos to my Mac this morning.   

She also made a bunch of tote bags for the Ocala shelter.

Ellen Hein made some more gift bags for her family and one in progress,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She also brought one of her fleece blankets

 and a blanket she put together from some sweater material that was donated to us. 

 

 

 

Inspired by Carol Thruston, she has also started a crumb quilt and showed us her starter piece.

Bev Minnerly made another backpack, this one with inside pockets.

as well as a couple of zipper bags.  

 

 

 

 

 She also showed a serger her son found at Goodwill for $35.   She took some time and got it running.  Ellen helped her with a few tweaks later in the afternoon.

 

We welcomed B.J. Herter back with us and she showed several items.  First, a banner for her daughter's 60th birthday.  

 

Next, a runner for her daughter's counter, 

and lastly, a goat collage for her granddaughter.

 

 

Suzanne Barron made several tote bags for the shelter.

Pat Pipa made 2 pillowcases,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some zipper bags, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and a couple of tote bags.

Charlotte Cecillio showed her latest honor flight quilt top (made with fabric strips on dryer sheets).

 

 

Ellen brought in 5 quilts she finished in our quilt assembly line.

This one was designed in one of our meetings.

I designed this one.

Mic Pickard designed this one

Ellen designed this one

 

I think this one was also designed in a club meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

********************************

*************************

For the rest of the afternoon everyone worked on various projects, either designing more quilt tops, processing donations, or sewing,  I pinned 3 more quilt sandwiches.

For anyone looking for something to work on, we have plenty of fabric for zipper bags, fidget walker bags, backpacks, tote bags, quilts, etc.   If you need supplies, let me know.

Club Notes - Oct 14, 2020

 

There were 12 of us at the meeting this afternoon.  That is the most who have come out since last February, but we still had enough space to keep a safe distance.  We are still wearing masks when we are working close together.  Three new members have joined us in the past few weeks and they are fitting in nicely.   I am told that we are allowed up to 50% of the room capacity, so that would mean 25 of us.

I have been asked about demos a few times, so I reiterated that there are a couple of things we used to do that I don't feel comfortable with until the current pandemic subsides more.  Demos are one of the casualties, because it would likely involve too many people gathered around close to the demonstrator.  The other casualty is our pot-luck parties.  I hope we will be able to resume these fun activities after the new year, but I will let you all know when I feel it is safe enough. 

Last week I made 2 deliveries.  We gave 22 pillowcases, 2 drawstring backpacks, and 7 zipper bags to the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch, and 30 dog beds to the Marion County Animal Services.

Show and Tell:

Pat Pipa took some pre-cut fabric squares and blocks, and created 2 lovely tote bags.

 

Mic Pickard completed a quilt top that she and Debbie Chapman designed from 10" squares.

 

 

 She used some of the other 10" squares to make a tote bag and suggested she could quickly make up more of these with any 10" squares we cut.

Mic also showed the latest pair of pajamas she made as Christmas gifts.

 

 

 

 

  

Ceal Petersen showed a quilt top that she and Carla Tiling designed from 5" squares last week.

 

 

Suzanne Barron showed a tote bag she made.

(All the totes and quilt tops above were turned in for our charities.)

 

 

Ellen Hein finished the binding on 4 quilts I gave her last week.

 

 

Ellen designed this one.

This one was designed in one of our meetings using 8" squares.

Diane Placek made the 9-patch squares from our staff and completed the design by finding coordinating fabric in one of our donation bags.

Ellen Designed this one.

*********************

 

 

Everyone was busy for the rest of the afternoon.  We had 3 large bags of fabric donated and some of the ladies sorted through those.  By the end of the day there were 4 very full dog beds.  Some others worked on sorting and cutting fabric, or sewing various items.  I pinned 3 more quilt sandwiches. 

No planned deliveries this week.  We will do more of the same next week.  Hope to see you then.